The Way of Tea
by Darth-Taisha
Summary: A few months before he is to die, Itachi seeks absolution and peace through traditional tea rituals and ceremonies. He finds what he is looking for and more. Itahina **COMPLETE!**
1. Chapter 1

_**The Way of the Tea**_

**Timeline/Summary:** A random mission in the land of Tea about a month or two before Itachi's death. As he seeks to purify himself before his impending death, he finds something more than just absolution.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. In fact, I do not even like the main character that much anymore. He is far too irritating and his single-mindedness is freaking annoying. If I owned it, I would have brutally killed off him and Sakura early on in the story.

**Chapter 1**

Pain turned angrily toward the window and watched as the sleeting rain fell in precisely measured amounts. It calmed him a little to know he had complete control of it. He glanced at the paper on his desk and felt the burning core of hatred within his soul ignite at the name written on it.

_Hanzo_, his mind spewed out the name. Even though the man was long dead, his name still had the power to pierce his heart. It was because of him Yahiko died.

Pain stared moodily at the paper in front of him as he remembered his deadly retribution against Hanzo and his family. He had been absolutely ruthless in destroying the man, his family and anyone associated with him. Yet, according to the report he just received, he didn't destroy all of his sons, one of them was still alive.

He sat at his desk and looked in the envelope the report came in and pulled out a picture. The man in the grainy photo had blonde hair and a sinister expression on his face. _Just like his father_, Pain sneered as he slammed the picture hard on his desk.

The sound of knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter," he called out in an authoritative voice.

He watched as the door opened and the Uchiha respectfully entered his office.

"Leader, how may I serve you?" Itachi said as he bowed respectfully.

"Close the door; I have a mission for you…"

* * *

Itachi squinted slightly as he looked at the path before him and could see it was becoming increasingly sandy. Visually gazing out in the distance he could only see distorted shapes and colors that blurred together like a jumbled kaleidoscope. Fortunately, his vision was much better close up, it was a little blurry but he could still see outlines of people, their faces and colors. And because he had to rely up them so much, he was getting very good at using his other senses. It was his keen sense of smell that told him he was getting closer to the seashore and the town of Chado.

_It doesn't matter that my vision is fading,_ he reminded himself darkly. His life would be over soon and he will finally be able to atone for eliminating his clan. His brother would be considered a hero for killing him and he would be able to return back home to Konoha.

_Konoha,_ he thought to himself feeling grimly nostalgic. Belonging there and being a part of that vibrant village felt like it was a lifetime ago to him. So much had happened to him since he had left; he was not the same person.

He felt old, sick and tired well beyond his years. He was tired of assassinations; tired of endless missions and training. Most of all he was tired of being hated and feared. It sickened him to his core that very few people ever made eye contact with him. Most people, especially ninjas were too afraid to risk it. Deep in his soul he was more of a man of peace than he was a ninja. He only killed because he had to, not because he wanted to.

A large part of him was grateful for this mission. Pain wanted him to remain anonymous and dress as a civilian and hide his chakra. Akatsuki was beginning to stand out too much and it was becoming unsafe to wear the very recognizable black and red robes. He welcomed the chance to be just a normal man, even if it was just for a short while.

Itachi stopped for a moment and breathed in deeply the crisp sea air. He could smell a slight fragrance of newly minted tea leaves in the air. The smell reminded him of his other purpose for visiting the area—he wanted to use this time to prepare himself for the end. Like a warrior preparing himself for battle he wanted to purify himself by attending the tea ceremonies and rituals that Chado was famous for. Once he found peace and absolution then he would be free to contact his brother and die at his hands.

After he entered the town he stopped at a small outdoor café and ordered some food and a fragrant cup of green tea. He had the waitress add a side of dango. A reluctant smile touched his mouth as he thought about how much his brother disliked sweets.

He remembered how Sasuke used to pitch a fit to their mother whenever she would bake cookies and she would usually cave in and make something special for him too. That would leave all of the cookies to him and their father. Back in the day, when they were still getting along, they would take the whole plate of them outside and eat one after the other. He put his head in his hands for a moment and wondered why he kept torturing himself with memories like that.

He sighed angrily to himself and took a sip of his tea. It seemed like he was thinking about his family more and more lately the closer the meeting with his brother became. His expression became cold and grim as he forced himself to stop being weak and to stay focused on his surroundings.

He was about to leave and go check in his hotel when three people and a large white dog sat next to him. He quickly activated and deactivated his Sharingan for a split second and instantly gauged the three of them were ninjas. And not just any ninjas; they were from Konoha.

In a few short moments he recognized they were members of the Inuzuka, Aburame and Hyuuga clan. He immediately deducted they were here because of the pirate attacks and the negative economic impact they were causing the tourist industry in the area.

He knew the Land of Tea did not have their own ninjas, so they always had to hire them from other nations. They must have hired Konoha this time around.

Itachi quickly left the café as soon as he realized they were ninjas. He knew by their abilities they were a recon team and his slightly modified appearance probably would not hold up against the kind of scrutiny they would likely give him.

He walked just a little ways down the road and checked into the largest hotel in town. His overly tired body sorely needed some rest and a long soak in the hot springs. Unfortunately, he never made it there because as soon as his pack hit the floor he fell on the bed and was sound asleep until morning.

oooOOOooo

Hinata looked around her and patted Akamaru on the head as he ran by her. She took a deep breath of the crisp sea air and tried to contain her excitement. Scanning ahead with her Byakugan she could see they were getting close to the town of Chado.

_Chado._ The village was almost sacred to her as her mother had been a follower of the way of the tea. She had believed the sacred rituals were powerful for purging the mind, body and soul and for bringing peace and harmony to the believer. She had learned a great deal about the ceremonies and could not wait to attend some of them while she was here.

The Hokage had assigned them to keep watch over the harbor as there have been random attacks over the last few months by a group of pirates. Hinata was excited that she was going to get a chance to be undercover. Plus the Hokage was practically forcing her to take some time off for herself during this mission.

"Hey Hinata, how much longer before we get there? Akamaru and I are dying of hunger," Kiba complained dramatically to her as his loyal dog barked along with him.

Hinata smiled knowingly at her team-mate. The two of them were always starving.

"We should be there in about twenty minutes, Kiba-kun," she answered them patiently.

"Alright!" Kiba said to Akamaru and they bolted ahead of everyone.

Hinata turned to Shino and shared a small exasperated glance with him.

"So much for keeping in formation," Shino said dryly as he rolled his eyes behind his glasses.

Hinata smiled politely at his small joke and the two of them rushed and caught up with their team-mates. It wasn't long before they found a small café and they all sat down tiredly.

Shino raised his glasses a fraction as he saw the man that was sitting next to them begin to leave shortly after they had sat down. He frowned slightly as he assessed his chakra. He couldn't tell for sure but he definitely could tell the man was a ninja, he just couldn't gauge his chakra. He watched as the dark-haired ninja left. The man looked like he could be part of the Uchiha clan, but his eyes were a dark blue color. Dismissing the man as being mostly harmless, he decided to keep his eyes open for other ninja's in the area.

"Hinata, we will be leaving you alone a great deal of time. Kiba and I are to monitor the harbor constantly while you are to scour the village for information about the pirates. Remember to keep your chakra hidden and be alert for other ninja's in the area," he reminded her in a very quiet voice, so he would not be overheard.

"I promise, Shino-kun, please don't worry about me," she told him in a quiet and gentle voice as she laid her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were soft and reassuring as she looked at him.

Shino looked at his friend and team-mate. His eyes glanced to where her hand was still resting on his shoulder and inwardly he smiled. He always liked that she was not afraid to touch him or sit next to him. She trusted him enough to keep his allies to himself.

He knew she was the heart and soul of Team Eight. If anything were to happen to her it would be a devastating blow to both him and Kiba. He reached over and gently laid his hand upon her shoulder in return as he looked at her.

"Hinata, just be careful."

Hinata nodded solemnly. She knew how important she was to both of her team-mates. They had been watching over her like big brothers practically since the first day the team was put together.

"I will Shino, arigato," she replied calmly before she broke apart her chop sticks and began to eat her dinner.

Hinata opened the door to the very large hotel room she had reserved for all of them. Deciding to splurge a bit, she had paid for it with her own money. Besides she felt that it would help with her cover of being just a tourist in the area.

After settling in for a few moments, Shino began to give them their assignments. Kiba and Akamaru would patrol the harbor during the day. He would take his turn from mid-day until midnight and then Hinata would take her turn watching the harbor until early morning.

The hotel was very close to the harbor and Hinata had requested a room near the top floor, which gave her an excellent and uninhibited view of the harbor. She would be able to see for long distances if the pirate ship was entering the harbor and alert the others.

Hinata smiled a self-satisfied smile as she watched the others begin to settle in their luxurious room. It made her feel good to be able to share some of her family's wealth with them. They were always so good to her, it was nice to return the favor for once.

She yawned slightly before she opened up her pack and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. They had been travelling almost nonstop for almost two days straight and she was exhausted.

After Hinata was finished, she looked around the room and walked over to Akamaru and gave him a quick scratch behind the ear. The big dog moved his head slightly to give her better access to the area behind his ear. He always loved it when she petted him, she was always so gentle. Next to Kiba, he loved her best. The bug-guy had always creeped him out a little.

"Goodnight Akamaru," Hinata whispered to him as she kissed him delicately between the ears.

She turned the light off and went over to the sliding glass door that led to an outdoor patio. As she stepped outside she drawn by the moonlight and the quiet sounds of the ocean. Ambling toward the railing she was struck by how beautiful her view was of the ocean was. The lights from the town were astonishingly lovely and seemed almost magical as they glistened on top of the ocean waves.

The full moon was shining brightly over the harbor and off into the distance she could see a long bridge that connected the shore to a small island. She activated her Byakugan and could see far out over the ocean another much larger Island was on the other side of the channel.

Hinata was surprised at how large the town was; in her mind she had always pictured it to be very small and quaint. The large village was nestled between the ocean and high rolling hills surrounded the town like a protective barrier.

She stared at the lovely view for a few more minutes before her eyes began to droop and her weary body began to protest. It was time to go to bed. She took one more look around before she headed inside and reluctantly went to bed.

_Tomorrow, I want to see everything,_ was her last thought, before she drifted off to sleep.

**Author's note**: This is a small plot bunny that I have had in my head for some time now. I plan for the story to be rather short. As always, I have made Hinata and the others to be about a year older than they are in the manga. The mission is a simple one and the focus of the story will be more on Itahina and their small little romance in the setting of tea ceremonies. I have been reading about the way of the tea and the settings and the rituals will provide some great opportunities for them to meet. Sorry if the first chapter is a bit choppy, I always have trouble setting the scene in the beginning of my stories. I am really excited about the next chapter, one scene in particular. Thanks for reading. Feedback is always welcome!

Edited: 4/26/12


	2. Chapter 2

**The Way of Tea**

**Chapter 2**

**"_Wa (Harmony)"_**

Hinata lifted up the hem of her plain white kimono as she walked down the narrow stone path toward the tea house. She breathed deeply as she let the narrow path guide her towards inner serenity and let all of the cares and problems of her life fall away.

Hinata felt the spirit of her mother was close to her as she remembered her words.

"_This time today will never come back_." Her mother used to teach her as a little girl in their garden at home.

"_This moment is precious. It is not the same as anytime yesterday, and will not be repeated tomorrow. You have to relax and enjoy the serenity at this moment, that is the mind of the tea."_

"I will try to remember mother,_" s_he promised her mother, and hoped she could hear her in the afterlife.

The morning fog was beginning to dissipate but Hinata could still see wisps of it across the stony path as she continued to follow it. She looked ahead and could see the simple tea house set upon a small hill.

The small square structure was built with four large cedar beams. It was designed with simple aesthetics in mind as it had no outward adornments. There were no walls but only had long sheer white linen hanging from the bowed triangular roof. The whole effect was of overall simplicity designed to promote purity of purpose in the minds of the guests.

She passed through a small gate and up the rough stone steps that were hemmed in by wooden beams. In the background she could hear the sound of the ocean as the waves broke along the shore. The whole atmosphere had an unreal feel to it as she climbed up the steps, it was so serene it felt as if she were entering another world.

Hinata walked up to the curtain and pulled it to the side and saw five people dressed in white kneeling in the seiza position with their feet tucked in behind them. Underneath them were tatami mats that were large enough for two people to kneel on. On one side, sat the hostess of the ceremony and in the center was a brazier of hot coals which was used to boil the water. In front of the hostess were the simple utensils necessary for the tea ceremony.

The hostess gestured for Hinata to a place next to a dark haired man who looked to be in his early twenties. She quickly glanced at the man next to her as she thought he reminded her of someone. He had his eyes closed and was meditating quietly as she drank in his elegant profile, dark hair, firm mouth and chin. She realized with a shock that he reminded her a lot of Uchiha Sasuke.

She frowned as she wondered how that could be. Sasuke was the last Uchiha except for an older brother who was a member of Akatsuki. She almost smiled at the thought of someone from that evil organization attending one of these meetings.

She continued to stare at him until he opened his eyes and glared at her with icy cold dark blue eyes. Hinata drew in her breath as she took in the impact of those eyes. She felt drawn by them and repelled by the coldness in them at the same time.

"Gomen," she whispered softly as she turned away from him and began to blush a slight pink color.

Those eyes proved to her he was not part of the Uchiha clan, she knew they always had dark gray eyes that were almost black in color. She decided to put him out of her mind. After the cold look she had received from him, it appeared that he did not want to be bothered anyway. She sighed as she looked straight ahead and tried to find inner peace and tranquility as the smell of sandalwood and burning coals permeated the air.

Kneeling next to him she was close enough that she could feel his arm next to hers just touching her slightly. She moved over a fraction because his nearness was making it difficult for her to focus clearly on the ceremony.

Hinata thought of her mother and how important these ceremonies were to her. Her lack of focus and distractibility was making her feel she was letting her mother down. She determined in her mind to try harder.

"Forgive me mother," she said softly to herself and hoped the spirit of her deceased parent could hear her.

Hinata closed her eyes and set her mind to finding enlightenment. She listened and watched closely as the hostess began the preparation of brewing the tea. The pure and fragrant aroma of the foamy matcha tea was earthy and calming; it added to the overall atmosphere of the environment.

Hinata stiffened when he moved slightly and his arm brushed lightly against hers. Her concentration was immediately broken. Her thoughts immediately turned toward the enigmatic man next to her. _I wonder where he comes from,_ she thought almost randomly. She could sense a small amount of chakra from him and had a feeling he was a ninja or maybe even an untrained one. Her gaze almost drifted over him, but at the last moment she stopped herself.

'_What is wrong with me?_' She thought feeling frustrated with herself.

She didn't know why but she felt reluctantly drawn to him, and it made her feel uncomfortable as she had never felt this curious about any stranger before.

The lovely flow of the room and the pure ambience of the settings were lost on her as she continued to be almost painfully aware of the man next to her. It was as if they were the only two people in the room. It was beginning to make her feel off-balanced and upset. She came here to find peace and tranquility and get away from all of her problems, not create new ones.

_Focus Hinata, focus!_

Hinata was finally distracted from him when she saw their hostess begin to ladle the thick green matcha into the large tea bowl and hand it to the person across from her. She watched as the person on the end turned the bowl so the design was facing their hostess as a sign of respect before he took a drink of the tea. The person then turned toward the next person and handed the bowl to her with it centered in both hands. The woman then took the bowl with a slight bow and delicately wiped the edge of the bowl and turned it away from them with her hands.

It continued around until it was their turn on the end. Hinata watched as the dark-haired man next to her reached out and wiped the edge of the tea bowl and took a drink. Her heart began to hammer as she realized she would have to look at his eyes again and bow to him. She reached out slowly and concentrated on keeping her hands from shaking as she gracefully took the tea bowl from him.

She looked at him and once again felt drawn in by his eyes. She only looked at him for a few seconds, but it felt much longer to her. She saw a slight flash of emotion in his eyes that was quickly covered up. Hinata could feel herself becoming even more attracted to him as he became even more of a mystery to her.

Hinata closed her eyes as she took a sip of the delicately flavored tea. She tried really hard to feel harmonious and enjoy the moment, but she only was able feel his body heat next to her and the rapid beating of her heart. She quickly glanced over at him when she felt he was watching her out of the corner of his eye. It was at that point she gave up even trying to focus on the ceremony. She just hoped it would all be over soon and she could leave and get away from his unnerving presence as quickly as possible.

Hinata almost breathed a sigh of relief when the hostess announced the blessing over them, and the ceremony was over. She watched as the first two people on the other side of the brazier stood up and were the first to leave.

She watched as the man next to her stood up and began to leave. She couldn't stop herself from feeling a small amount of disappointment that he didn't try to make eye contact with her before he left. A strange sense of loneliness came over her as she watched him leave.

Finally, it was her turn to leave, and when she moved to stand up the hostess put her hand on her arm.

Hinata looked at the middle-aged woman curiously.

"My dear, what happened with the two of you?" The hostess asked her with an amused smile on her face.

Hinata began to look away and blushed hotly. She was hoping that no one noticed her being distracted.

"I-I'm not sure," she said weakly.

The kind-hearted hostess began to laugh softly. "My dear, I have been holding these ceremonies for longer than you have been alive and I have never seen two people disrupt the harmony of the group the way the two of you did. I could feel the emotional intensity between both of you almost from the moment you walked in the room."

Hinata thought she was going to be sick, she didn't like where the conversation was heading.

"Um, I wasn't aware that was happening. I could only…" Hinata's eyes opened wide when she realized what she was going to say, "focus on him," she finished miserably.

The hostess reached out sympathetically and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"I know, I think it was the same for him."

Hinata felt her foolish heart began to race. "He noticed me?" Hinata asked in surprise.

The lady nodded and began to laugh in amusement.

"You are so young still and have a _lot_ to learn about men."

Hinata smiled back worriedly at her. "I don't know the first thing about them," she admitted shyly.

The woman looked at her with concern in her eyes. "Just be careful, he appears to be a very troubled young man. Very troubled."

Hinata stood up to leave. "I will ma'am. I don't think I will see him again anyway," she said sadly before she bowed politely and left the room.

* * *

Itachi practically ran down the steps and there was nothing even remotely contemplative about his posture in the way he walked down the narrow path. He was still trying to figure out why he was still thinking about _her._

He even knew her name or at least her family name. She was a Hyuuga and he could tell from her unmarked forehead she was probably the heiress or at least from the main family.

He was frustrated with himself because he came here to do a job and to seek peace and tranquility. He did not come here to have fling and dishonor someone pure like her. He knew the signs and could tell she was very attracted to him.

Her type was always off limits to him. He usually only slept with experienced women who knew what it was all about . He did not bother with all of the young fan-girls that always threw themselves at him.

_Except this is no fan-girl,_ his mind reminded him.

A moody breath escaped him while he stared out at the crashing waves as he came closer to the ocean.

_She is innocent and kind. I will only end up destroying her,_ he made up his mind that he would not see her again. He would do the honorable thing and stay away from her. Now that he had a plan he felt better about the situation and started walking back toward his hotel.

* * *

Hinata had dinner with Kiba. They had left Akamaru in front of the restaurant because the staff wouldn't let him in.

"I feel bad for Akamaru. He is a good boy and is very obedient!" He complained to her across the table.

"I know," Hinata answered distractedly. She was staring at her plate and twirling aimlessly her yakisoba noodles with her chopsticks.

Kiba began to get concerned as he watched her do that for about five minutes without taking even one bite.

"Hinata, are you okay?" He asked her with a worried look on his face.

"I'm fine," she lied nervously. "I am just a little tired."

Kiba stared at her for a few moments before he pressed her some more. "Did something happen to you today?"

Hinata looked a little guilty for a moment before she looked back at him.

"No, nothing happened," she lied again and her chin began to look stubborn.

Kiba knew that look and knew in some ways Hinata could almost be as private about her life as Shino was. He shook his head. He really hated being patient, but he knew if he kept trying to get her to talk she would just shut down even more on him.

His eyes were kind as he watched her as she pushed her plate away.

"If you need me, I'm here for you."

"Thank you Kiba, I think I am going to go lay down for a while, so I can keep watch tonight."

"Okay, I will see you later, Akamaru and I are going to walk around the town and check it out."

* * *

Hinata went back to the Hotel and took a long bath and then took a nap. She only slept for a few hours before it was her turn to keep watch over the harbor. She went in the bathroom and quickly freshened up and put on her ninja clothes. Just in case she saw something and needed to respond, she wanted to be ready.

After putting on her ninja clothes and knowing she still had a mission to complete, she stepped out onto the patio and activated her Byakugan.

She gasped out loud when she saw there was someone out on the balcony right next to theirs. She turned with her Byakugan and saw he had a massive amount of chakra, especially behind his eyes. _He has a Kekkei genkai_! She thought in alarm.

Her heart began to race as she pulled out a kunai when she saw him stand up and was prepared to defend herself.

He calmy walked over to the rail and looked out over the water for a few minutes.

Hinata began to get confused. Finally she deactivated her eyes so she could get a good look at his face. She gasped when she saw who it was.

"You!" She whispered in shock.

"Yes, it's me," he replied calmly.

Hinata felt herself being drawn toward him and by the tempting sound of his voice. She almost felt as if he had put a spell on her so strongly she was attracted by him.

He looked back at her with grim amusement in his eyes. She noticed his eyes no longer looked blue but they now appeared to be a dark charcoal gray. Her eyes opened wide as she continued to stare at him.

"Y-you are Sasuke's brother aren't you?" She said after she made the connection.

He didn't answer her, instead before she could even react; he was behind her with a kunai to her throat. She gasped weakly as he turned her toward him so she had to look at him.

"Y-you're Itachi?" She squeaked out nervously.

"Yes," he answered as his eyes looked slowly down from her eyes to her mouth.

Hinata became even more nervous when she saw him begin to lower his mouth toward hers. She watched in fascination as he went so slowly it was almost as if he was asking for permission from her. As though controlled by an unseen force she felt helpless to stop herself from leaning back her head and opening her mouth slightly just before his lips touched hers. And her hands reached out and gripped tightly to the front of his shirt.

His kiss lasted only a moment before Hinata began to come to her senses. _This man is a murderer and a member of Akatsuki!_ Her brain shouted and finally got through to her and her eyes opened up in shock. In mere seconds her gaze locked onto his Sharingan activated eyes and heard his voice say softly, "I'm sorry." Just before she collapsed in his arms. His eyes roamed over her face one more time before he gently laid her down and went back into his room.

**Author's Note:** I am sorry if any of you find the Zen Buddhist stuff boring, I was reading about the way of the tea and thought it sounded peaceful and the idea of Itachi seeking peace before facing his brother and dying at his hands seemed to be plausible. Sorry to leave you guys with a cliffie.

**Edited:** 4/26/12


	3. Chapter 3

The Way of Tea

Chapter 3

_(Kei – Respect)_

"_To protect peace in the leaf village and most importantly, Uchiha Sasuke, yourself. He lived as a fugitive, a traitor, a criminal, praying for the release of death...He traded his pride for disgrace...and your love for your hatred and even still, Itachi died with a smile on his face." – Madara Uchiha to Sasuke Uchiha_

Waking up suddenly, Itachi clutched his chest in pain. His breath caught in his throat choking him, cutting off his air supply. In the dim morning light, he searched blindly around his room for his medicine. Gasping shallowly for air, he sat up and struggled to climb out of bed. His eyes closed in relief when his reaching hand finally found his medicine on top of the dresser. Forcing himself to remain calm, he stuck the syringe in the top of the vial and drew the liquid out to the prescribed amount. Once done, he stabbed himself in the hip and pushed in the syringe.

Still laboring for air, he sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the medicine to take effect. Itachi slowed his breathing down and pushed himself past the crushing pain as his lungs continued to burn. Gradually the medicine began to kick in and his breathing started to become less labored and painful.

Itachi stood up weakly and took a slow, ragged breath. He looked at himself in the mirror and felt discouragement enter his mind at how pale and weak he looked. Reaching up his hand left angry streaks through his long hair.

_These attacks are coming more frequently and the medicine isn't working as well as it used to, _Itachi thought feeling frustrated. _I can't die like this!_

He had a predetermined path to follow and it did not include him dying peacefully in his bed. For the sake of his little brother he had to find a way to live longer and keep his morbid appointment with him and death, he owed it to him.

Glancing out the window he saw the sun was slowly beginning to come up over the water. _Another sunrise, another day to live,_ he thought cynically grateful he wasn't dead yet.

It wasn't that he was afraid of death; in fact, at times he actually looked forward to it. But not yet…it was not time for him to die. He still had things he still needed to accomplish, he needed to see Sasuke…then he would be ready.

His eyes glanced toward his neighbor's balcony and he could see she was still sleeping where he had left her last night. He leaned his head tiredly against the glass as he thought about her.

Her Byakugan was dangerous to exposing his cover as a civilian, but it could also be a help to him. He knew it was just a matter of time before the recon team from Konoha found Hanzo's son. When they did, he would be able to go in after them, eliminate the target and complete his mission. Knowing Konoha, he figured they probably have orders to try to capture him and kill him only if they have to. It should make his job easier.

Regarding the Hyuga, he figured out she was undercover most of the time during the day and it would be risky for her to use her Byakugan without exposing that she was a ninja. His cover as a civilian should be safe during the day.

It was mainly at night when he risked her being able to see his chakra as she watched the harbor using her Byakugan. He would have to lay low during that time. Otherwise he would have to use his Sharingan on her again or kill her and neither option was palatable to him. He shook his head in self-disgust at how he had given into temptation last night and tasted her lips.

_She is a distraction, I need to keep my distance from her,_ he thought to himself wearily as he went into the bathroom to go take a shower.

* * *

Hinata felt the warm sunlight on her face and she slowly opened her eyes. Moving herself stiffly she felt disoriented for a moment before she realized she had fallen asleep on the stone floor of their balcony. She lifted herself off of the ground and sat down in a daze on a chair and put her face in her hands as she tried to remember what happened last night. In the distance she could hear the sound of the ocean. For once, it wasn't soothing to her.

_I remember stepping out onto the balcony and activating my Byakugan…and then…._ she thought anxiously trying to figure out why she fell asleep. _And_…_I can't remember anything after that. _She was beginning to feel sick to her stomach as she thought about her latest failure.

"I let my team-mates down last night," she said out loud, as the dreaded feeling of failure washed over her.

Trying to make amends, Hinata activated her Byakugan and focused out as far as she could out into the distance past the harbor. She breathed a small sigh of relief as she could not spot the ship that the Hokage showed her before they left to go on the mission. It appeared her lapse in duty wasn't going to hurt them after all.

With drooping shoulders, Hinata stood up to go talk to Kiba and Shino. Her sense of obligation and conscience demanded that she be truthful with them and tell them everything that she could remember.

Shino frowned and lifted his glasses slightly as he looked at his team-mate and listened to her report of what happened to her last night. _Falling asleep on duty, was just not like her, something had to have happened to her…But what?_ Shino thought, his brain was working rapidly trying to figure out what happened to his team-mate. _We will definitely need to keep an eye on her, h_e worried as he continued to look at her.

After she was done telling her report Hinata apologized with her head down in shame before them.

"I c-checked the harbor this morning and do not think my f-falling asleep harmed our mission. But, I am deeply s-sorry for my actions and for putting our team and the mission at r-risk," she said with a slight tremor of emotion in her high-pitched voice.

Akamaru came over to her and licked her hand. His actions telling her he forgave her. Feeling slightly better at his attempt to comfort her, Hinata buried her face in his furry neck.

"Thank you Akamaru," she said gratefully, before kissing her canine friend gently behind his ear.

"It's alright Hinata, we all make mistakes sometimes. I think Akamaru should stay with you tonight to make sure you are safe," Kiba told her with concern in his voice and Akamaru barked his consent.

"Okay, I would like that," Hinata said as she smiled weakly at his attempt to cheer her up.

Shino calmly agreed that Kiba's idea was a good one and they all began to get ready to get some breakfast and start their days.

* * *

Hinata was wearing a white linen sundress with a lilac sweater. Trying to disguise her eyes she had sunglasses on, so she looked just like any other tourist as she wandered aimlessly through the shops. She decided to just look around today and tomorrow she would go back and buy what she found. She was on her way to another meeting; this one was more of an informal teaching and luncheon. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was going to start soon.

Itachi lifted his pale face to the sun as he sat on the bench in the garden and waited for the informal ceremony to begin. A few moments later, he glanced over at the door and saw the host inviting them in. He waited as others began to stand up and kneel before the tsukubai (a stone basin set low in the wall) and began the ritual of purifying their faces and hands before entering through the door.

Finally it was his turn and Itachi stood up and removed his shoes and knelt down and splashed the pure water over his face and cleansed each hand before standing up and entering through the door. On the other side a host handed him a new pair of zori. The comfortable garden sandals were made from pure and raw materials that conformed around his feet.

Itachi breathed deeply as he followed the roji path, knowing the serene garden path symbolically led him from the ordinary world into the world of tea. A world where the harsh realities of his life could be forgotten, if only for a little while.

Hinata was last in line and had gone through all of the preparation and was waiting to enter the tea room. She moved her feet slightly in her zori as she felt the marvelous comfort of the shoes form around her feet. Looking up she saw it was her turn to enter the tea room.

After opening the door she removed her zori and went over to the alcove and bowed before it. On the alcove was a scroll with the four principles of the tea on it. (Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility) She looked up and saw fragrant kariroku berries with green stems hung on a hook symbolizing purity.

Hinata was feeling peaceful as she surveyed the room and the people in it. Her worries and feelings of failing earlier were beginning to recede as she bowed to her host. The old host greeted her warmly and handed her a cup of hot sake. She turned to find a place to sit on the tatami mats when she saw him.

Her heart sped up at the sight of his dark bangs as they hung around his face. Most of the other guests were mingling quietly as they took their seats. He was the only one sitting seiza style on his mat and seemed to be meditating quietly to himself.

Hinata silently took her seat and her eyes immediately went back to the compelling dark haired man seated across from her. She sat there helpless to stop herself from staring at him. Thoughts of him had remained in her mind since she had met him yesterday.

She was quietly fascinated by him. There was an element of darkness about him that frightened her as much as it drew her towards him. Her sharp eyes picked up a wary alertness about him, that even in their tranquil setting he never seemed to completely let down his guard. She also noticed that no one in the room tried to make conversation with him and he didn't seem to mind. It was almost as if he didn't need anyone and was completely self-sufficient.

Except she kept thinking about what she had seen in his eyes yesterday. She had only seen it for a second in his eyes before he covered it up with a look of detached indifference.

Hinata had seen that look of deep loneliness and pain in Naruto's eyes long ago when they were young children at the academy. It was the same for this man and she felt as helpless against it now as she did then. Somehow, she needed to help him.

Reluctantly, she dragged her eyes away from him when she felt their host was looking at her. Her eyes were slightly contrite as she looked up at him and saw his eyes twinkle at her before the old man gave her a wink as he gestured across the room to where the dark-haired man was sitting.

Hinata blushed and immediately lowered her head in embarrassment and was determined to not look at him for the rest of the gathering.

Itachi glanced up and saw the Hyuga across the room from him. He had immediately sensed her presence from the moment she entered the room. Forcing himself not to look her way he had begun to meditate as he waited for the ceremony to begin.

Meditating had been difficult because he had sensed her eyes upon him for a very long time. He couldn't deny it any longer; there was an inexplicably strong attraction between them. Yet he knew he could never act upon it, his life was like poison to the people around him, it had a way of destroying everyone he became close to.

He looked over at her as she daintily sipped her tea. Innocence and purity radiated from her spirit and her chakra towards him. He took a deep breath as part of him wanted to just bask in her cleansing presence, but the hard reality of the truth reminded him, that being around him could be deadly for someone like her. For her sake, he needed to put an end to this attraction that was between them.

Hinata's pulse began to race as she felt his eyes upon her. A nervous excitement began to build in her and she began to wonder if what that hostess had said to her yesterday was right and that he was interested in her. She could feel her cheeks beginning to grow warm as her thoughts betrayed her.

She was just about to lift her eyes toward his when a young woman kneeled before her and held out a bowl of soup. "Would you like some miso soup miss?"

Hinata smile weakly as she took the bowl from the servant. "Arigato," she said to the girl before she moved on to serving the person next to her.

Hinata's eyes darted across from her and could see he wasn't watching her anymore; he was busy eating the small lunch that was being brought around to them.

She quickly looked away from him because she didn't want to get caught staring at him. Her attention was brought to the front by the host of the tea.

"Welcome guests, please enjoy my hospitality. Today is a day to cherish, this moment and this time together is unique. It is a never to be repeated opportunity in each of our lives. That, my friends, is the way of tea." The host said kindly with a touch of reverence in his voice.

Hinata sipped her soup as she listened to the old man's words as he taught a short lesson to them. Listening to him, reminded her of her mother's words as she taught her the way when she was little. It was all about celebrating life beautifully while learning to cope with the harsh realities of death, pain and suffering that was all around them in the world. Those words her mother taught her were a source of strength and serenity for her each day.

Hinata realized she had been daydreaming when she heard the host tell everyone to partner up. As her eyes shifted around the room she saw that everyone had a partner except for her, and looking across from her and swallowing nervously…and him.

She almost felt as if she were in a daze as she stood up and walked the short distance across the room and kneeled beside him. They knelt next to each other in silence for a few quiet moments before she turned her head to look at him.

Feeling mortified, Hinata quickly looked away from the barely concealed look of annoyance he gave her. His eyes clearly told her he wanted nothing to do with her.

Hinata shivered slightly as she moved away from him a little. She almost felt like crying as she didn't understand what she had done to him to make him look at her that way.

_What is wrong with me?_ She thought as nervous and emotional laughter threatened to bubble up in her as she was beginning to think that she was only interested in guys that didn't want her. She took a calming breath as she remembered how it had taken her years to realize that Naruto would never want her for more than a friend.

Now it seemed she was doing it all over again. She looked up at the old man who was telling everyone about their training lesson and realized that she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing.

Hinata relaxed slightly when she saw the old man was going to demonstrate what he wanted them to do with one of the servants. She watched as the old man kneeled down next to a young woman, who was on her knees and her back was perfectly straight.

"Remember to keep your forehead aligned with your lower abdomen," he told the class.

Hinata groaned mentally as she saw how the old man put his fingertips on the young woman's chest vertically to the ground and began applying pressure trying to push her backwards.

_Oh no, I don't want him touching me there,_ she thought miserably. Part of her was afraid she was going to do something embarrassing like fall backwards. Hinata's eyes desperately glanced toward the door because she couldn't wait for this session to be over.

"Focus on having an immovable mind. Set your minds toward being peaceful and still no matter what the circumstances are around you," she heard the host's voice say over the panicking thoughts that were racing through her mind.

Hinata took a deep breath and realized she had to get this over with. She looked over at him to see if he wanted to go first.

Without saying anything Itachi lifted himself up on his knees and assumed the position. He realized he was putting himself in a very vulnerable position with her. If the Hyuuga knew who he really was, she could easily kill him with that gentle fist of hers. It wouldn't take much for her to stop his heart with her hand on his chest.

Itachi looked at her warily and saw by her body language and emotional looking eyes she had received his earlier message loud and clear. She was no threat to him in her current condition.

As she slid closer to him he could smell the light scent of lavender on her hair. He forced himself to not think about the way she tasted last night when he kissed her or the way she formed herself against him as she returned his kiss.

With a look of detached aloofness, Itachi looked straight ahead and made his mind become calm as she reached over and pushed her hand against his chest as she knelt next to him.

Hinata pushed against him gradually and felt him become unmovable and perfectly balanced. She could not push him back any further. She noticed he even kept his heart rate controlled. She was beginning to wish she could use her Byakugan and look at him. His perfect control of his body was making her suspect he was not just a plain civilian, he must be a ninja.

A frown began to form on her face as she noticed something else about him. He was hot, his skin felt like it was burning up with heat. _I think he is ill,_ she thought worriedly to herself. She looked at him and wanted to ask him if he felt alright, but she saw he had his eyes closed.

She reluctantly moved her hand from his chest when she felt him move back into the normal seiza position.

_Stay calm; think about having an immovable mind,_ she told herself nervously as she assumed the position on her knees. She almost gasped as she felt his hand lightly touch her chest. As she felt him gradually begin pushing on her chest as she felt herself pushing back and her alignment was becoming unbalanced.

She wanted to focus but she was having trouble as she felt the heat radiating off of his skin. _He really is sick, s_he thought becoming even more distracted. Gradually she felt herself begin to lean backward under the pressure of his hand.

"Focus," he commanded softly to her as he leaned closer toward her and placed his other hand on her back and put her body back into alignment.

Hinata felt her cheeks grow warm at his proximity and felt angry at herself for still being attracted to him even after she knew he didn't like her. She just couldn't seem to stop herself from wanting to be near him.

"Try again," he told her in a quiet but firm voice.

Hinata nodded determinedly towards him and forced her body to become aligned perfectly straight. She felt him push against her and for awhile she felt balanced. She was just about to congratulate herself when she felt herself begin to lose her balance suddenly. Instead of falling she felt his strong arm go around her back and she found herself gazing up into his dark blue eyes.

Hinata blushed as she looked around the room and pulled away from him, when she saw that everyone else had left. The only other person that was still here was the host and he had gone to a back room and was cleaning up.

Next to her, Hinata felt him begin to get up off of the floor and she reached out and put her hand on his wrist.

"Wait," she asked him softly.

Itachi looked down at her with irritation and surprise that she would dare to touch him voluntarily.

"What?"

Hinata's chin looked stubborn before she began to stand up and reached out and placed her hand gently on his face. Her eyes looked worried as she moved her hand from his cheek to his forehead.

"Y-you're sick, I think you have a fever," she said in a shy and concerned voice as she looked up into his eyes. They appeared to be glossy and looked almost unfocused as he looked back at her.

Itachi's body stiffened as he stepped away from her and his eyes became hard. "I'm fine. I don't need your help," he told her in a cold voice that was warning her to back off.

Hinata flinched and backed away from him. She looked at him with confused eyes before she walked toward the door and began putting her zori back on.

He didn't look at her as he silently walked past her, and opened the door and left the room.

Feeling flustered, Hinata leaned her head against the wall and tried to compose herself. She felt like a fool for trying to help him and be near him when he clearly did not want anything from her. She made up her mind she was going to stay far away from him the rest of her time here.

Hinata stayed there for a few more moments calming herself, before she stepped out into the roji. As she walked down the stone path and looked at the beautiful garden she felt almost numb as feelings of rejection and worry raced through her mind.

_Why won't he let me help him?_ She asked herself in confusion. Another part of her brain kept asking her why she even bothered to keep trying when he obviously didn't want her help.

Hinata looked up at the sky when she felt a raindrop fall on her head.

"Oh great, it is raining," she said to herself as she looked up and saw that the sky was becoming very dark with clouds. It was going to start pouring down rain very soon.

She hurried and opened the garden door and began to take off her zori and was putting on her sandals. When she looked out in front of her and saw he was sitting on the bench in the courtyard with his hand on his chest. He looked like he was struggling to breathe.

"A-are you okay?" She asked him as she hurried over to him and placed her hand on his arm.

He shook it off with a hard look in his eyes. He turned away from her and began to focus on trying to breathe in and out slowly.

Hinata looked at him and was frozen in shock. He obviously needed help, yet he still was pushing her away.

She watched as he began to reach for something in his pants pocket when his eyes rolled back in his head and he began to collapse backward.

Hinata hurried and caught him before he fell off the bench. She laid him down on the bench and felt the rain was beginning to pour down on them.

Quickly, beginning to panic a little she laid her head on his chest and could hear he was still breathing but it was raspy and shallow. She reached in his pocket and found a vial of medicine and a syringe.

"This must be what he was reaching for," she said anxiously as looked at the bottle and saw there was a line drawn on the syringe. She guessed that had to be the right amount so she drew the liquid out up to the line and gave him a shot in the arm.

The rain was beginning to pour down very hard on both of them now, and she looked at his deathly pale face and knew she needed to get him to a doctor fast. She was going to find the host when she saw him open the door and come out.

The old man quickly assessed the situation and began calmly examining the man on the bench.

"Can you show me where the nearest hospital is?" Hinata asked him anxiously.

The old man didn't look at her, but continued to exam the man in front of him.

"I am a healer, help me take him to my house. It is only a few blocks away from here," he told her as he put his arms under the patient's head.

Hinata looked at him for a moment and decided to trust him.

"I am a ninja, please help me put him on my back so I can carry him-It will be much faster this way," she said quickly as she began to use chakra to help her lift him. After feeling how heavy he was she realized she was going to have to use a lot of chakra. He was much bigger than her and in his unconscious state he was a complete dead-weight.

The old man began to help her lift him up and helped settle him on her back sideways in the wounded comrade position.

"I know young Hyuuga, you look just like your mother," the old man said mysteriously as he began to walk away and bade her to follow him.

Hinata could feel the man behind her was still alive, but just barely. Fear began to grip her heart at the thought of someone as young as him dying. She began to pray out loud.

"Please Kami, let him live."

She kept praying over and over as rain drops streamed down her pale and worried face.

**Author's Note**: Thanks so much for all of the reviews and story alerts on previous chapters. I am looking forward to the next few chapters. Thanks for reading. Please leave me some feedback, I would really appreciate it.

Edited: 4/26/12


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**_(Sei – Purity)_**

_"__People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That's how they define "reality". But what does it mean to be "correct" or "true"? Merely vague concepts ... their "reality" may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs?__" -Itachi to Sasuke during their last battle._

Warmth and a sense of overall well being gave way to wariness as noise from the crackling fire woke him up. Itachi looked cautiously around and saw he was lying before a warm fire on a sleeping mat with an IV attached to fluids stuck in his arm.

As he surveyed the dimly lit room, the events from earlier in the day came into his mind. He remembered walking out into the rain and a horrible pain like two tight bands contracted his chest and he could not breathe. He briefly remembered seeing the Hyuuga girl and trying to reach for his medicine just before he collapsed.

He closed his eyes for a moment when he saw he was alone in the room. He moved his arms and legs and found he was not restrained in any way. He began to relax slightly when he saw signs that his identity was not compromised. If it was, he would most likely be locked up in a jail cell somewhere and his captors would be preparing to interrogate him before they killed him.

Itachi took a few slow breaths and noticed he was breathing easier; he eased himself up and began looking around for his clothing. His searching stopped when he saw they were hanging over a chair before the fireplace drying.

A cold dread came over him as he realized whoever undressed him must have seen the kunai knives and shuriken he had concealed under his clothing. If they begin to suspect he is a ninja his identity and mission could become compromised. Itachi mentally prepared himself to take the steps necessary to protect that knowledge.

Itachi sat up and began pulling out the IV out of his arm. He became instantly alert when the door opened and a man stepped inside.

"Easy, my young ninja friend," the old man said in a soothing voice as he closed the door behind him.

Itachi looked up at him and recognized him as the instructor from the tea ceremony earlier in the day and relaxed a little. The old man was a man of peace and had him at his mercy already for several hours without harming him or turning him into the authorities. He decided to listen to him before he took action against him.

The old man looked at him approvingly as he noticed some of the tension drain out of the young man in front of him.

"I am Master Eichu, I am a village elder as well as a healer. When I was younger I was trained as a medical ninja. I helped to revive you after you collapsed today," the man explained patiently. He stepped closer to the foot of the sleeping mat just before Itachi and kneeled down.

"I would keep that in for a bit longer, you are a very sick young man," he said kindly as he pointed to the IV.

Itachi stared at him and cautiously weighed the man's words; he could not risk being exposed. However, something instinctively told him this was a man whom he could trust. He decided to hear him out a bit more before he decided what to do about him.

In the warm glow of the firelight, Itachi looked over at the wrinkled, blurry face of the old man.

"Master Eichu, do you know who I am?" He said quietly using the words that depending on the old man's answer would determine whether he lived or died.

The man looked at him gravely and nodded his head before answering truthfully, "I do."

At his answer, Itachi closed his eyes for a moment and hated what he needed to do next. He looked over at the man and was going to stand up when the old man's words stopped him. "I am assuming you are here to take care of those pirates that have been destroying our tourist industry," Eichu said as he casually turned his back on Itachi and walked over to the fire and picked up the poker and began idly moving the logs around.

Itachi remained silent and continued to watch the man; he was reluctant to kill such a man-a man of healing and peace.

"I will protect your identity and help you recover from your sickness, if you will eliminate those vicious pirates for us," the old man pleaded, he knew his life was in danger from the man in front of him and he chose his words carefully.

Itachi looked over at him cautiously. "What assurances do I have that you will do as you say?" He asked him suspiciously.

A flash of worry flared through the old man's eyes before he answered him. "I sit on our village council and I see the damage those pirates have caused our village as well as others along the coast line. Besides growing tea, our village has very little industry and we count on the money tourists spend. This time of the year is normally our busiest months and most of our hotels are only partially full. Winter is coming in a few months and some of our people will go hungry if all of the tourists continue to go away," he said quietly, his voiced was laced with anguish at the thought of his people suffering.

"I know our council hired Konoha to deal with them, but knowing that village as I do, I am concerned that they will only try to capture the criminals instead of eliminating them. If the pirates escape and are not stopped, I am afraid they will come back even stronger, with reinforcements."

Itachi looked surprised that the man of peace was seeking their death rather than putting them in prison.

The old man acknowledged his surprised look with a slightly rueful look . "I know, I am a man of peace, but I am also a realist. I cannot allow Hanzo's offspring to destroy our way of life. The people of this village are precious to me and I will do what is necessary to protect them."

Itachi looked at him and knew only too well what he was saying to him. "Even protecting the identity of someone like me?"

The man nodded solemnly back at him. "Yes, besides I knew your mother, and I hear her spirit guiding me to help you," the old man said as he pointed to a picture on the fireplace mantle. The old photo was a picture of him with two young girls dressed in white dresses both of them had dark hair. Itachi couldn't see the picture that well in the darkened room, but he knew one of the girls in the picture was his mother.

Itachi looked at the man and felt from the moment Pain assigned this mission to him it was as if some unseen hand was guiding him. It was as if he was being put in position and moving inexorably toward the end. Events beyond all of his planning and control were taking over and he wasn't able to stop them.

Master Eichu pointed to the girl next to his mother. "That is Hinata's mother."

_Hinata?_ At Itachi's slightly raised eyebrow he explained.

"The young lady from the meeting that helped carry you over here."

Itachi thought about the Hyuuga girl and thought the name suited her. Her presence was so soothing and peaceful. To him, it seemed as if the warm sunlight was on him whenever she was around.

The old man watched his reaction to her name quietly. It appeared to him that both of them were developing feelings for each other. He could tell by Hinata's reaction to him passing out that she was very worried and extremely protective of him. However, after asking her some questions about the young ninja he found that they were almost complete strangers. She didn't know anything about him.

"I told her that you were a ninja from the Waterfall country and needed to keep your name and identity anonymous. She agreed to not use her Byakugan on you while you are in my home. She is probably watching the harbor right now as we speak. I expect she will be coming over later to check on you." The old man said with a twinkle in his eye.

Itachi ignored his teasing and began to shiver and laid back down under the covers.

Master Eichu looked at him with concern. _You are a very sick young man, h_e thought as he looked at the splendid and strong looking ninja in front of him.

_Unfortunately, looks can be deceptive,_ he thought sadly thinking that just by looking at him no one would even be able to guess that he was dying.

"Go back to sleep my friend. I will check on you in the morning," he said kindly as he reached over to a table with a pitcher of water and a glass and picked up a pill.

"Here is some pain medication for you, to help you sleep comfortably. The IV fluids will help keep you hydrated; you may remove it in another hour," he said as he handed him the pill and poured him a glass of water. Then the old man walked over to the fireplace and put another log on the fire.

"Thank you," Itachi said after taking the pill and handing back the glass of water. He tiredly laid back down under the covers.

The old man placed his hand on his forehead and felt only a little bit of the fever remained. He knew the pain medication would help keep it under control. He stood up to leave and go to the main part of the house. Before he got to the door he turned around.

"We will talk more in the morning and I will tell you what I can about your condition."

Itachi could tell from the old man's tone of voice that the news was not going to be good, but he was prepared for it. He just needed more time. He closed his eyes and let the warmth of the room and the medicine help him fall asleep.

* * *

Hinata reached down and idly stroked Akamaru's soft white fur as he laid beside her chair. Because of the rain outside, she sat in a chair in front of the sliding glass doors and watched over the harbor in the early morning. Her body was exhausted after the events of the day but her mind was not.

It was still in shock about what happened.

_He's dying,_ she said in her mind for perhaps the hundredth time. After they had brought him to Master Eichu's home, the old man had examined him and had confirmed that his illness was not something that was going to pass, it was terminal.

Hinata started nervously when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hinata, Kiba and I will take over now; you are relieved of duty and may go to sleep," Shino told her quietly.

"Okay Shino, I didn't see any activity in the harbor. It was very quiet last night," she reported to him tiredly before going to get ready to get a few hours of sleep.

Shino watched her closely until she closed the bathroom door. He could feel something was bothering her and thought she seemed unusually preoccupied the last few days. He determined to keep an eye on her for the rest of the trip.

* * *

A few hours later, Hinata was carrying in her hands a container of chicken broth she had the hotel make for her. She tentatively knocked on the door of the large house she knew belonged to Master Eichu. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she waited for someone to answer the door. She knew she had no ties to the man she helped save yesterday and after today he may not even want to see her again. After all, he had made himself abundantly clear every time she had met him that he didn't want anything to do with her.

_I just want to see how he is doing,_ she said to herself as she pushed those other thoughts away.

Master Eichu smiled as he opened the door and saw her standing there.

"Hinata, come in," he said warmly as he moved aside and let her in.

Hinata bowed respectfully before she came inside and set the broth down on a table.

"How is he this morning?" She asked him worriedly.

"I just checked on him and he is resting comfortably. The medicine I have been giving him appears to be helping to keep his lungs from constricting and his pain under control," the old healer said calmly.

Hinata looked out the window and could see the warm glow of the sun as it hovered above the ocean waves. The lovely colors and the peaceful setting of the garden just outside of the window could do nothing for the emotions that were running through her mind.

"How much time do you think he has left?" She asked sadly. A chill filled her heart at the thought of someone as young as him dying.

"A month, maybe two. It depends upon him. If I can get him to stay with me for even a week it will help strengthen him to perhaps live even longer."

Hinata looked away, bleakness filled her eyes. '_Only a few months. No, it can't be true!_ She thought feeling helpless.

"Isn't there anything you can do to cure him, Master Eichu?" She asked him and dared to hope.

The old man shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, his disease is too far advanced for me to be able to save him. He must be a very strong willed person to have lived as long as he has already," he replied sadly his voice was tinged with admiration.

At his words, Hinata felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. She turned away to wipe them away when she felt his hand warmly comforting on her shoulder.

"I will do what I can to help him, my dear," he promised her with eyes full of compassion.

Hinata looked back at the healer with hopeful eyes.

"Do you mind if I help you? At least until I have to leave the area?" She asked shyly.

The old man smiled knowing all along that she would offer. "I was hoping you would ask."

Hinata smiled gratefully.

"Come on, let's go check on him. I could use some help with preparing the tonics and herbal medicines…do you know how to cook?" He asked her as if he was thinking out loud as they walked out the door.

"I do, I would be happy to cook for both of you while you take care of him," she said happy that she could be of some use to both of them.

Master Eichu smiled at her. "I am sure we would both like that," he told her as they both walked down the small path that would lead them to the guest house.

Hinata followed tentatively behind Master Eichu as he opened up the door and stepped inside. She couldn't forget how every other time she had made contact with the dark haired man he would always push her way. She hoped he didn't do it this time; there was something about him that made her want to be near him, now even more so.

Peeking inside she saw him lying on a mat in front of the fireplace. Seeing his bare chest above the blankets she lost her nerve and decided to go back to the main house and begin preparing some food.

"Um, Master Eichu,...I will give you some time to examine him while I will go make some lunch," she said shyly as she backed out the door toward the house.

The old man smiled thinking it was good that she was so modest. He thought how so many of her generation were not.

"Fine Hinata, I should be finished with him in an hour. That should give you some time to prepare something suitable for him," he told her standing just inside the door and turned toward the main house. He turned around and walked over to the patient lying on the matt.

"How are you feeling today?" The healer asked him when he saw he was awake. He looked at his arm and noticed he had removed the IV from his arm.

"I am feeling a little stronger and the medicine you have been giving me has been helping me breathe a little easier," Itachi replied weakly.

The old man looked relieved. The attack he had yesterday would have killed most people. The man before him was very strong and in excellent physical condition and he wanted to do what he could to give him more time. He also wanted to do it for Mikoto, she would want him to help her son.

"I am glad to hear it. I would like it if you would be able to stay with me until the pirates land on our shores and you have to complete your mission...Unfortunately, I am afraid I cannot cure you completely; your condition is too far along for me to be able to save you. However, with breathing treatments, proper rest and nutrition, not to mention, herbal remedies. I might be able to extend your life a few more months and possibly longer if you continue to take care of yourself." The old man offered giving him both bad and good news at the same time.

Itachi closed his eyes in gratitude. At this point in his life it was the best news he could hope for. A few more months would be plenty of time for him to accomplish what he needed to do.

"Arigato, Master Eichu, I will stay with you as long as I can."

* * *

Hinata had warmed up the broth and made some rice balls and cut up some melons and was arranging everything on a plate when Master Eichu came in the kitchen.

"I am finished examining him and he is resting again. I am going to send over to his hotel and have someone bring his things over here," he said as he put the room key on the table near her.

Hinata thought the key looked a lot like hers but thought that maybe it was just a coincidence. It didn't matter anymore even if he had been staying at the same hotel as her because now he would be staying here with Master Eichu.

"I made some lunch for you," she said politely as she set the plate before him.

The old man thanked her gratefully. His wife had died a few years ago and he had been fending for himself in the kitchen ever since then. He was glad to have her cook for him while she was here.

"I have to go into town for a few hours to buy some supplies Hinata, but I would appreciate it if you would stay with the patient and watch over him while I am away," he asked her calmly with a twinkle in his eye. He knew she was being shy, this way he was giving her an excuse to be around his patient.

Hinata looked at him gratefully as she put together a tray of food to take over to the guest house.

"I would be happy to watch over him Master," she told him with a small smile of gratitude.

The old man looked at her and offered her some advice.

"Remember the concept of an immovable mind that we learned in class yesterday. He may try to push you away, but remember to set your mind to helping him and being still in your mind. He is very sick and not used to receiving help from anyone, but I think he needs us."

Hinata looked back at him a little surprised that he picked up on the nuances of their relationship so quickly.

"I understand, and I think he does too. I will do my best to help him," she said stubbornly as a sense of purpose entered her mind.

* * *

Hinata nervously entered the guest house and set the tray on a table when she saw he was asleep. She moved closer to the fireplace and added another log to the fire before turning around to look at him as he slept.

A light blush crept over her cheeks when she noticed he had put a shirt on, but she still couldn't stop herself from staring openly at his elegant profile as he slept. She stared at him and could tell by his speech and his manners that he was no common man. He obviously came from a very privileged background like hers and had recognized that about him almost immediately after she had met him.

She watched as he made a few wheezing sounds and the labored rise and fall of his chest and it reminded her how he didn't have long to live.

'_A month, maybe two_…" she heard Master Eichu's voice telling her in her head.

A few tears slipped out as she couldn't hold them back any longer. Seeing him before her looking so strong and healthy, it didn't seem possible that he was dying. She just felt so sorry for him, there were so many things in life that he would never get the chance to do.

_I am...so sorry for you,_ she thought emotionally as she cried over him.

Itachi could tell by her chakra that it was Hinata. She was sitting next to him and had her face bent over his chest and was weeping over him.

_Don't cry over me, I'm not worth it,_ he told her derisively in his mind.

Hinata felt him move and could tell he was awake.

Sniffling a little she sat up completely and looked down at him and watched as he slowly opened his eyes. For a moment they appeared to be an onyx color and then suddenly they were a dark blue color. She shook her head and decided it must have been the light that made them look different.

"Why are you here?" Itachi asked her in a hoarse voice, his eyes penetrated hers.

Hinata looked away unable to think of anything rational to say and breathed out nervously. A single tear slipped out before she wiped it away quickly with her hand.

"I'm not good for you; I will only end up hurting you," he warned her in an emotionless voice that was almost kind.

She looked down at him softly with eyes full of compassion. "You're sick. I want to help you," she told him stubbornly as she gently placed her hand around his.

He pulled his hand away from hers and turned away from her so she wouldn't be able to see his face.

"I-I think you need me," Hinata told him shyly as she leaned closer to him.

"I don't."

Itachi closed his eyes and knew he was lying, as he savored the feel of her sweet presence near him.

Hinata covered her warm face in her hands and almost stood up to walk away from him when she remembered Master Eichu's words and looked back at him one more time. She saw that he was sick and all alone.

She made up her mind—she wasn't going anywhere. Something inside of her told her she would regret it, if she left him now.

Standing up she went over to the tray that had his lunch on it, she picked it up and carried it over to him.

"I made some lunch for you; I bet you must be hungry," Hinata said as she offered it to him shyly.

Itachi gave her a hard stare and sighed as he realized she was not going to leave and sat up and reluctantly took the tray from her.

"Thank you, Hinata-san" he told her politely just before he broke his chopsticks in half and began eating.

Hinata blushed when she realized he knew her name.

"You're welcome…" She stopped when she realized she still didn't know his name.

Itachi knew she was waiting for him to give her his name. Giving her his real name was completely out of the question and would compromise his mission. He also knew that if he told her a name now he would be giving her permission to know him. If she learned too much he may have to kill her before he left the area.

He looked at her and realized she was innocent, but even so she had to realize seeing him was like playing with fire. On the other hand she represented a temptation to him. The opportunity to have a small glimpse of happiness before his life ended. Tempting as that idea was, he realized for her sake he needed to put an end to this "relationship" of theirs before it went any further.

Itachi saw she was standing in front of window looking out at the garden. He could tell his refusal to tell her his name was upsetting her. _Good, h_e thought to himself knowing that her emotions will make it easier to manipulate and push her away.

Setting down his tray beside his sleeping mat he used his chakra enhanced speed and was instantly behind her. Trying to frighten her, he placed his arms around her and felt her immediately tense up.

"Why do you want to know me?" His question was softly menacing and full of suspicion.

Hinata's eyes opened wide and she felt herself becoming frightened. He was a lot bigger than her and something told her even with her Byakugan and gentle fist abilities, he would be able to kill her very easily. She breathed out nervously as she tried to turn around to look at him. She was surprised when he removed his hands from around her and let her. However, she still didn't have enough courage to look in his eyes when she spoke to him so she looked at his chest.

"I don't know… for some reason…I am just drawn towards you. I-I can't explain it," she admitted honestly, knowing her reasoning probably sounded illogical and irrational to him.

Itachi looked down at her coldly; his voice was condescending when he answered her.

"Teen-age hormones."

At his words, Hinata felt herself becoming emotional and angry at him. Those feelings soon gave way to sadness as she saw the tiredness in his eyes. She realized at once that he was trying to push her away.

"I have been through those before and know what I feel is not that," she said with a small shudder as she remembered chasing after Naruto for all those years.

Her eyes softened as she moved closer to him and forgave him. "Even now when you are being unkind to me...a part of me still wants to help you."

He turned away from her as he felt his resolve weakening. "Then you're a fool," he told her unemotionally.

Hinata nodded her head sadly. "I know I am," she lamented with rueful smile. Being soft-hearted has been her biggest sin in the eyes of her father for her entire life and she definitely knew it.

Itachi turned back around and looked at her with hard eyes. "I am not worth it; the people around me usually end up dead. Do you still want to know me?" He asked her in a deadly calm voice.

Hinata almost shivered at his words and the tone of his voice. She had to admit he frightened her more than a little. There was no doubt in her mind that he was what he said he was, he was dangerous. However, something in her also told her that there was good in him too. Her reasoning told her that if there wasn't he wouldn't be trying so hard to protect her and push her away from him.

She looked up at him and listened to her heart, like her mother told her to do whenever she heard it guiding her.

"Y-yes, I-I want to know you."

He sighed as he looked back impassively at her; his eyes were telling her he thought she was making a big mistake.

"So be it then, you may call me Tachi," he conceded, giving her the name Sasuke used to call him when he was too small to call him by his real name.

**Author's Note:** I didn't get that much of a chance to proof the ending, please forgive my mistakes. Please leave me feedback, I am deciding whether I should keep them friends or make them something more… thanks for reading.

Edited: 4/26/12


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**(_Jaku - Tranquility_)**

_Ever since his first appearance, Itachi had always been mysterious, and had acted as though he was hiding his true self. While flashbacks to his past showed that he was a compassionate brother and person, his later acts and claims made it seem that this was mostly just an act. But, surprisingly, he genuinely was the compassionate brother he had once claimed to be, although he hid this from the rest of the Akatsuki to protect Sasuke. – Narutopedia about Itachi Uchiha_

* * *

A few tears slipped out as Hinata looked down at his hand held lightly in hers. She watched as he struggled to breathe. Fear began to grip her heart when his breathing started becoming painfully shallow and rapid. _Please don't die, s_he thought helplessly.

Scrunching her face, she forced herself to not cry in front of him. In their brief acquaintance, she learned he was not a man who either wanted or needed pity. He fully accepted he was going to die soon and it humbled her to see the grace with which he accepted it. In the same circumstances, she didn't think she would accept dying young as peacefully he was.

"Master Eichu, is there anything I can do to help?" She asked the healer as she watched his hands glow with green healing chakra over Tachi's chest.

The old healer had a worried frown on his face as he tried to heal the ninja in front of him. _I don't know why he is having these attacks or what is triggering them?_ He thought worriedly. He also noticed the patient's skin was hot to the touch and began to suspect because of his weakened immune system, he had picked up a virus that was causing high fevers and exasperating his breathing problems.

The old man's eyes opened wide as he figured out what was going on and what he needed to do about it. He looked over at Hinata and pointed urgently towards a large medicine cabinet in the corner.

"On the top shelf is a large brown bottle, go get it for me along with a spoon." He lowered his head toward his patient's chest and heard his breathing was becoming even shallower.

"Hold on, my young friend, we will get you through this. I think I know what is making your condition worsen," the old man told him soothingly. "I just need you to slow your breathing down."

He watched in silent admiration as the Uchiha forcefully calmed his breathing and began to push himself to take slow and even breaths.

Hinata was before him and showed him the bottle. At his nod that it was the correct one, she began to open it and pouring some in the spoon.

"How much do I need to give him?" She asked urgently.

The old healer quickly determined by looking at his size and height how much was needed.

"Give him two teaspoons."

Hinata nodded as she kneeled down beside him and gently laid her hand on his forehead.

She almost flinched at the heat radiating from his pale face.

"Tachi, I need to give you some medicine that will help you breathe better," she told him softly as she leaned her face by his ear.

Hinata watched as he slowly opened his eyes and bit her lower lip anxiously at the tremendous amount of control he was showing. She could tell by the pinched look of fatigue on his face that he was in a lot of pain. He opened his mouth obediently as she brought the spoon toward him.

She was about to ask the healer for some pain medicine when he stopped applying chakra to Tachi's chest and walked over to a bottle and drew some out with a syringe.

"It's going to be alright," Hinata said softly as she leaned over closer to him and bent her head towards his dark one. She knew deep down she was trying to reassure herself just as much as she was him.

Itachi inwardly cringed at her words and wished she wasn't here to witness his weakness. There just wasn't anything he could do about it; he was in too much pain. Every breath he took caused his lungs to burn as they contracted and expanded. It took all his will power to focus on breathing slowly and deeply.

Master Eichu kneeled down by him gave him a shot in his arm and another in his hip.

"Here you go, my friend; I have something for your pain and a muscle relaxer that should calm the spasms in your lungs. The breathing treatment I did earlier should also open them up and you should be feeling better soon."

Itachi nodded and focused on continuing to breathe slowly in and out. He learned from experience if he allowed his breathing to become too shallow and rapid, it would cause him to pass out from lack of oxygen.

Hinata anxiously picked up his hand and held it with both hands as they waited for the medicine to work. She winced slightly as his hand gripped hers tightly for a second as a sharp pain went through him.

Realizing he was hurting her he tried to pull his hand away from hers but Hinata closed both of her hands around his tighter. Her eyes locked onto his. "Please…let me help you."

Itachi nodded resignedly, he was beginning to think for all her softness, she was also very stubborn.

Itachi took a deep breath and could feel the burning pain finally begin to subside. He was exhausted and his body hurt all over, but at least he was still alive. He wondered if he had been alone if he would have made it through the last few attacks. Probably not.

Watching him closely as he breathed in and out slowly next to her, Hinata began to notice he appeared to be getting better. She breathed a sigh of relief and was shocked when he lifted his hand and gently wiped a tear that was running down her face.

"I…am not…ready to…die yet," he breathed out slowly.

At his small attempt to comfort her, she began to cry in earnest.

"I-I am s-so glad," Hinata stuttered out emotionally in between tears. She wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears as she looked into his dark eyes in the dimly lit room. Even though they weren't alone there was a feeling of intimacy that began to settle over them. As she continued to look at him, she had the feeling he was determining something about her in his mind.

Master Eichu saw the way they were staring at each other and decided to give them some privacy.

"I need to get some supplies from the house; I will be back in a moment," he told them with a flicker of amusement in his eyes. He grinned to himself when the young couple barely acknowledged him.

Unaware of how long she had been staring into his dark blue eyes, Hinata turned away from his gaze blushing. Looking down, she noticed her hand was still comfortably twined with his. She pulled it away reluctantly.

"I, um, should get going, it is getting late," Hinata said nervously and began to get up off of the floor. Being alone with him late in the evening after such an emotional and scary episode was making her feel uncomfortable and nervous. Her feelings for him were getting to be too confusing. She wanted to go back to her room and sort them out.

She stopped getting up when his hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her down again. She gasped a little when her face was only inches from his. Looking into his stern eyes she waited to see what he wanted from her.

"Hinata, I don't want to want you to come back tomorrow," he told her in a monotone voice that was slightly raspy.

Itachi looked at her as her face fell and saw the pain he was causing her and realized it was necessary. She was becoming too close and he was beginning to like having her around far too much.

At his words Hinata's heart sank, he was pushing her away again. She turned to him with eyes downcast.

"Why?" She asked him with a slight tremor in her voice.

Itachi stared straight ahead as he answered her with a flat voice that held no emotion.

"You are becoming too attached to me, I am not who you think I am," he told her firmly warning her.

Hinata realized he was trying to protect her and was trying to put some distance between them. She sat on the floor next to him and placed her hands on his arm.

"I think I know enough about you and….I don't care about your past. I-I still want to be your friend and help you," she told him softly with an innocently stubborn look.

Itachi inwardly balked at the word friend, she obviously has no idea of who she was speaking to. _Akatsuki members do not make friends with people,_ he thought mockingly as he looked at the ring that was turned with the symbol not showing under his hand.

She moved closer to him and he drank in her sweet presence and warmth that was an essential part of her and knew it wasn't friendship he felt for her. He knew it was the same for her, even half-blind he could tell she was affected by him.

"The man you think you know is nothing but an illusion," Itachi said tiredly.

Hinata listened to him silently and realized he was being honest with her. Most of the time, he was extremely secretive and wrapped in mystery. Yet, she found that none of that mattered, because she knew deep down he was a better man than he thought he was.

"P-please don't push me away from you. Y-you almost died tonight, and I don't want to leave you alone," she said miserably.

Itachi rolled his eyes at her innocence. Was she always so trusting of people? He wondered irritably.

"You are being naive by trusting me; I could kill you very easily," he warned her in a slightly menacing tone that almost sounded seductive to her.

Hinata shivered slightly.

"I know."

Silence hung between them as each of them considered their relationship. After a long while he finally looked at her almost suspiciously.

"What do you want from me?" He asked her tiredly as he raked his hands through his hair.

Hinata couldn't stop herself from blushing slightly before she looked self-consciously away from him. She decided she needed to be very truthful with him or she would lose him completely. Something told her he would know it if she lied to him.

"Um…I want to know the man…the one you have hidden behind the mask…the one know one else knows," she confessed with brutally naked honesty.

Itachi was a little shocked that she was able to read through his façade. He had been hiding behind it for so many years; most of the time it felt like the mask was the real him.

"What you want from me is not possible, I don't even know if that man exists anymore," he replied in an almost self-mocking and contemplative manner.

Hinata looked at him with sad knowing eyes. "I think he does," she said blushing softly. And _I think he is beautiful,_ Hinata admitted silently to herself.

Itachi was becoming very tired and felt irritable. He didn't want to talk about it anymore, she was getting too close to the truth.

"You speak nonsense," He told her dismissively as he laid down under the covers.

At his words and tone, Hinata began to smile to herself. She was beginning to feel elated that he seemed to no longer be pushing her away.

"I have to go now," she told him as she noticed how exhausted he was and how late it was getting. Pretty soon it would be her turn to watch over the harbor and her team-mates were probably becoming very worried about her.

"Hmm," she heard him mutter tiredly back to her.

"So, I will see you tomorrow?" Hinata asked nervously, her voice was squeaking slightly.

No answer.

A sense of dread filled her as she stood up slowly and began to walk toward the door. He didn't want her to come back.

"Yes," she heard his quiet and annoyed voice say.

The corners of her mouth turned up at his answer.

"Good night Tachi," she said quietly before she stepped out the door.

"Good night Hinata," he said quietly to himself as he turned away from her on his side. He closed his eyes and pulled the covers over himself more when he heard the door close behind her. The room seemed much colder now that she was gone.

**Author's Note:** I updated quickly because of all of the response I got. Thanks so much, you guys are awesome. I plan to make this short, probably only 3 more chapters and an epilogue. Thanks for reading.

Also, Naruto Shippuuden episode 137-Awesome and sad. I am so crushed Itachi is going to die soon in the anime. If you haven't watched the last three episodes, they are so good and the fight scenes have been amazing. The only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that they redrew many scenes from their past that they have shown us in previous episodes rather than making new scenes.

Edited: 4/26/12


	6. Chapter 6

**Way of Tea**

**Chapter 6**

**"_Makoto – Honesty"_**

_A heartfelt thank you to all of you who left me reviews: I appreciate all of you: SakuraSkywalker, Hinata1020569, 030artastic, Miims, KagomeMarie, Rimas, SnowKittyn and CatGirl R and S Fan._

* * *

Hinata stepped away from the stove and went to open the door when she saw Kiba and Akamaru behind it.

"Kiba-kun," Hinata said with surprise and alarm in her voice as she wondered if something was wrong.

"Hey Hinata, Akamaru and I followed your scent here," Kiba said as he frowned curiously at her and then glanced around at the influential looking home and the beautiful gardens that surrounded it.

"Why are you here Hinata?"

Hinata couldn't stop herself completely from blushing before she answered him.

"I-I am…um…helping a sick friend," she admitted shyly to him and hoped he wouldn't pry into her affairs too much.

Instinctively she knew Tachi wouldn't like her getting her team-mates involved and she wanted to keep her relationship to him a secret if possible. She frowned slightly as she realized her actions were completely unlike her normal self. A small voice within her was telling her that her team-mates probably wouldn't understand her reasons for helping him.

How could they understand when she wasn't quite sure herself what kept her coming back to him? She asked herself feeling a little confused and acknowledged reluctantly that she was more than a little obsessed with him. He fascinated her. He was mysterious and frightening and suspicious of everything and everyone. But those facts didn't keep Hinata from smiling secretly to herself when she admitted that the smallest glance from him made her melt.

Pushing those wayward emotions down she knew she would never get the chance to experience more than just friendship with him. With his words and actions, he had set almost impenetrable boundaries on their relationship; and she knew she could not get too close to him. He was not going to allow it.

Sighing sadly to herself, Hinata knew he was right, there could never be more between them. Even dying, he was way out of her league in so many ways.

She would have to be content with the knowledge that somewhere deep within him he needed her. He had too much pride to act like he did, but she saw the darkness that surrounded him, the loneliness and the pain within him and longed to help him.

Kiba shared a short and knowing look with Akamaru before he answered her. "Would this friend of yours happen to be the same person who has been causing you to mope around for the past few days?" He teased her a little suspiciously.

Hinata nodded truthfully as her face became infused with pink. She had never lied to her team-mates and she wasn't about to start now.

Kiba looked at her with eyes darkened with concern for her. "Hinata, please be careful. You know how much Shino and I worry about you. I mean, you are almost like a little sister to us," he said with a worried grin on his face.

Hinata nodded seriously and almost began to cry a little at the show of concern on his face. It made her feel good that her team-mates cared for her so much.

"I _am _being careful Kiba-kun," she replied softly and gestured to the house she was in.

"This home belongs to an esteemed healer and elder in the village. I promise you I am safe here. In fact, he was a teacher of the way to my mother when she was a young girl," Hinata told him in a calm and reassuring manner.

Kiba's eyes regarded her closely for a moment before he responded to her. "Okay Hinata, just stay in touch with us."

Hinata smile had a touch of relief to it when she replied, "I will."

She looked up at him with a question in her eyes. "Ah Kiba-kun, why did you come looking for me?"

Kiba looked around to make sure they weren't being over heard by anyone before he leaned closer to her and began speaking in a very soft voice. (As soft as he was capable of doing anyway)

"Hinata, Akamaru and I overheard some men at the dock yesterday talking about the pirates and we learned they are expected to land at the port at the end of the week. Shino heard the same information from different source this morning so we are pretty sure the information is credible."

Looking down away from his watchful eyes Hinata received the news with mixed emotions. Part of her was glad for the sake of the mission they had some idea of when the pirates were coming but thinking ahead she realized they would be leaving the area right after it was completed. That meant that she only would have a little less than a week with him.

Then she would never see him again. Her heart began to ache at the thought.

Reining in her emotions she turned to her team-mate with a fake smile plastered to her face.

"Okay, Kiba-kun. When I go to the market later, I will do my best to see if I can learn something else. Thank you for letting me know," she told him quietly as she turned to go back inside.

"Bye Hinata, we will see you later. Remember, be careful," Kiba told her while Akamaru followed behind him down the stone pathway through the garden that led to the street. He shared a worried look with his partner, s_omething is wrong with Hinata_. _She almost seemed like she was hiding something from me_.

He decided to keep a closer eye on her whenever she was around him.

* * *

"Your team-mate is right you know…you should be more careful who you associate with."

Hinata jumped nervously at the sound of his voice. _Where did he come from?_ She looked over and saw Tachi was sitting at the kitchen table calmly sipping some tea and eating one of the cinnamon muffins she made this morning.

"I promised you and Master Eichu I would help you…and I won't go back on my word," she told him firmly. _Because that is my ninja way. I don't go back on my promises,_ she reminded herself silently.

Itachi raised one of his eyebrows slightly at her words.

"I never asked for your help," he reminded her placidly before taking a small sip of his tea.

Hinata blushed knowing what he said was the truth and turned away from him and began cleaning the counter top with a damp cloth.

"I know you didn't…but I promised Master Eichu I would cook for both of you. He is all alone…and he told me his wife died a few years ago," she told him sadly using that as an excuse to help them.

Itachi looked up at her and thought for a ninja she was a very emotional person. "Do you always allow your emotions to dictate your decisions?"

Hinata blushed and began to fidget with the cloth in her hand at his words.

"S-sometimes…I do," she admitted with a small amount of shame in her voice. "My father says I am weak because of it. I just…want to help people."

Itachi listened to her words and immediately thought how innocent and idealistic she was. _Foolish girl, your emotions are going to get you killed,_ he thought cynically.

"There is nothing wrong with helping people…but emotions can blind you and cause you to act irrationally and cloud your judgment," he warned her with disapproval in his voice.

Hinata sighed, she had heard the same lecture from her father many times, and Kurenai-sensei too.

"I know…as a ninja I am supposed to keep myself from forming attachments and caring for those around me. I just can't stop myself," she admitted as she smiled softly.

"I don't want to stop caring for people. It is part of my nindo," she told him quietly with a surprising amount of youthful passion in her normally shy voice.

As he listened to her words he looked out of the window with jaded eyes and knew that he had never been hampered by such ideals. The urge to help people and feel pity was destroyed in him years ago before he could even remember.

Even though in his heart he was a man of peace and loved his village, he rarely had the luxury of acting with compassion. He was too powerful of a weapon and missions of mercy were never something that was assigned to him, even before the massacre of his clan. He was always looked at as an instrument of death. For him, it was the price he had to pay for being excellent-for being born an Uchiha.

The one instance where he had acted with compassion, he consigned his brother to endless misery, pain and loneliness. He sometimes wondered if keeping Sasuke alive really was an act of compassion on his part. His brother has suffered along with him all these years.

_Forgive me brother,_ his mind ground out painfully.

If only… he grimaced to himself.

Sometimes he played a futile game with himself in the darkest recesses of his mind. _If only_…_If only he had been born less talented, less gifted and not an Uchiha. What would have happened? Would he still have been called on to make the same choices he had been forced to make? _He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed such foolish thoughts to invade his mind before he ruthlessly pushed them aside. They were unproductive and pointless and it served no purpose for him to dwell upon them.

Using this time to rest and to heal, they were the only things that mattered for the time being.

_The pirates are due at the end of the week,_ he pondered and felt fate was being kind to him for a change. With his excellent hearing he had overheard what the Inuzuka boy had said to Hinata.

Six days, should be enough time to rest-it would have to be. It was all the time he had left before he had to complete the mission and return to Akatsuki.

To him, the time was a much needed respite from the endless drudgery of missions he was always sent on. His body was breaking down too rapidly and he knew it desperately needed time off to rest. His mind was equally exhausted, if not more so than his body. The constant charade of pretending to be healthy was becoming increasing difficult to maintain. The weight of feigning wellness all the time was crushing what was left of his stamina and energy.

This respite was precious to him indeed, he breathed out wearily.

Hinata looked at him with worried eyes. He looked so tired and a little vulnerable that all her doubts he needed her vanished. She was determined to reach out to him, even if she got hurt in the process.

She came up to him and slowly placed her hand on his forehead. At her gentle touch he closed his eyes and fought the urge to breathe in the scent of flowers that always surrounded her.

Hinata searched his face for signs of illness and looked relieved when she saw he was improving.

His skin was no longer hot to the touch. The medicine appeared to be helping and she noticed his breathing sounded better too.

"Tachi, how are you feeling? Is there anything I can do for you?" Hinata asked him cautiously, hoping he would allow her to take care of him, just a little.

"I am fine… I just need more rest," he replied in a remote voice effectively shutting her out and putting the barriers around him back into place.

Hinata immediately backed off and stared out the window. The weather was beautiful and sunny outside and she almost felt it was mocking her. She tried not to let his coldness get to her. _I just have to be patient; he is not used to letting others help him,_ she reminded herself stubbornly.

With a forced smile on her lips she found his medicine on the counter and handed it to him.

"Master Eichu left this medicine for you, he will be returning sometime this afternoon," she informed him calmly.

Itachi took the pills from her and she also handed him a bottle of some sort of liquid antibiotic and he took all of his medicine.

"Thank you Hinata," he said wearily as stood up and walked out the back door toward the guest house he was staying in.

* * *

_[Later in the afternoon_]

"Okaasan?" Itachi murmured half asleep as the sweet scent of ginger and almonds wafted through the window.

He opened one eye slowly and inhaled deeply. And felt he was either going out of his mind or was trapped in a painfully nostalgic genjutsu. The smell of those cookies was just like the ones his mother used to make for him and his father when he was growing up. Unconsciously, his mouth began to water, forcing him to get up and go investigate.

Itachi went through the back kitchen door and saw Hinata had her back turned to him and was using a spatula to remove cookies from the hot baking sheet. He walked behind her and reached for a cookie off of the platter.

Hinata smiling and hoping he liked what she had made for him, silently activated her Byakugan to spy on him. Her smile faded as her body went rigid with fear as she saw the huge amount of chakra he had, especially around his eyes. He was enormously powerful for a ninja and she determined he had to be at least S-ranked or Kage level.

The spatula fell out her trembling hands with a clattering noise as she figured out who he really was.

The loud noise and the fear radiating off of Hinata quickly alerted Itachi that she had figured out his identity. He sighed wearily, hating what he needed to do next.

"You know who I am, don't you?" He asked her sadly.

Feeling numb, Hinata nodded, but refused to turn around to face him. She wasn't ready yet.

"Y-you're…you are Uchiha…Itachi?" Hinata's voice stumbled out in shock.

"Yes Hinata, I am," Itachi admitted quietly his voice was tinged with sadness as he began to walk toward her slowly…

Author's Note: I am so sorry to leave you guys with a cliffie. I am not completely sure of where I am going to take their relationship so I had to stop there. I promise to update soon. Anyway, last week I wrote a short oneshot tribute to Itachi (RIP) and Sasuke, it is called Happy Birthday My Brother. If you haven't read it already, please go check it out in my profile…arigato.

Edited: 4/26/12


	7. Chapter 7

**Way of Tea**

**Chapter 7**

**(_Irai—Trust)_**

_"Ah, but ...it's said that every strong man has a weakness." Uchiha Itachi to Kisame regarding Jiraiya, manga ch 144._

_**AN: **Holy crap the new episode of Naruto Shippuuden is so awesome. RIP Itachi. I won't give any details away, you'll have to see it for yourself, episode 140._

* * *

Hinata felt almost frozen in fear as she felt him slowly advance toward her. Deactivating her Byakugan, she waited for the inevitable, knowing she was completely at his mercy. In her mind all of his warnings flashed before her and something stopped her from being fearful of him.

_Hardened killers don't usually warn their victims they are dangerous. Yet he did—constantly._

She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax. Something deep within her heart was telling her to trust him.

_Trust him! Are you insane?_ Her mind practically shouted at her. Hinata forced her mind to be quiet and focused on what her heart knew about Tachi.

Their brief time together began to flash before her in her mind and there was a common and undeniable thread that ran through all of it. He always pushed her away—and warned her he was dangerous to know. Those barriers he put around himself were not to protect him, but to keep _her_ from getting hurt.

Hinata began to turn around slowly and sensed he was reluctant to kill her, but also knew instinctively her actions in the next few moments would determine if she lived or died. He was not a merciful man, begging for her life was not something that she thought he would accept.

She had to do something else. Praying silently, Hinata hoped she was right about him as she turned to face him.

Bile rose in his throat as Itachi slowly moved toward her. The mere thought of killing her made him feel sick to his stomach. However, he knew he could not trust her with the truth of his identity—it would put his plans at risk and that was not acceptable.

Itachi sighed angrily and mentally cursed himself for allowing her to keep coming back to see him. He should have been more ruthless in pushing her away, but he had been weak. He enjoyed having her soft, sweet presence around him. He savored the gentle way she spoke to him, and when she laid her hand on his forehead.

Being around her made him feel human again, she was making him remember what it felt like to be alive again. After so many years of living in the hell that was the Akatsuki, he had forgotten.

Activating his Sharingan, he prepared himself for what must be done. He forced himself to think about his brother and the horrendous debt of honor he owed him. Nothing must be allowed to stop his plans for his brother from going forward.

_I will be there for you, Sasuke, h_e thought to himself as his brother's pale face flashed before him.

Itachi watched as Hinata turned around and he noticed she was no longer petrified with fear. His eyes opened a little in confusion when she seemed to be almost calm.

_She wouldn't dare take me lightly because I allowed her to consider herself my friend,_ he sneered cynically to himself.

Surrendering completely, Hinata looked into his blazing red eyes with eyes full of trust and walked almost blindly toward him.

Itachi's vision was much sharper with his Sharingan activated and he could see that she was not afraid of him. While her body was not completely relaxed she was very calm and even her chakra was still.

"Hinata?" His voice soft and menacing questioned her.

Hinata stared at his Sharingan blood-red eyes and couldn't stop herself from feeling intimidated. Even without her Byakugan activated she could tell the power those eyes harnessed was beyond enormous. It would take so little for him to destroy her, yet she knew he wouldn't do it.

"I-I am not afraid of you," she said with quiet confidence, her voice only trembled a little.

Itachi almost scoffed at her words. _What kind of game was she playing?_

"You should be," he warned her as his hands reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders, his face only inches away from hers.

"Do you think because you are _my friend_, I will trust you not to betray me?" He asked her with a softly menacing tone in his voice; it was warning her not to lie to him.

Hinata swallowed nervously, while her eyes continued to bravely stare into his hard red ones. She looked with amazement at the three tomoes dancing somberly in his eyes.

"N-no, it's just…that ever since I met you…you have tried to push me away," she looked up at him with honesty shining out of her eyes.

_Ah, very perceptive of you, Hinata,_ his mind admitted grudgingly as he released his hold on her.

"You are right, I have been doing that," Itachi said quietly as his hand reached out and almost reverently touched her hair.

Hinata leaned her head slightly against his hand, unconsciously responding to the sheer gentleness of his touch.

"You have been trying to keep me from getting hurt by you," she told him as she gently laid her hand on his arm.

"Those are not the actions of a man who enjoys killing people," she explained wisely with soft words as her eyes caught his.

Sighing, Itachi nodded reluctantly. He realized she was far wiser than he gave her credit for.

Itachi deactivated his eyes and looked at her with resignation.

"I don't want to hurt you…there is…something I have to do before I die," he admitted tiredly. "And…I can't let anyone or anything, jeopardize my plans."

Hinata thought for a moment before she realized what he might have to do before he died.

"Naruto?" She whispered his name out loud a little fearfully, hoping it didn't have anything to do with him.

Itachi shook his head a little and shuddered mentally at the mention of the loud jinchuuriki.

"No, it doesn't have anything to do with him," he replied quietly, his face was becoming remote and closed again.

She felt a twinge of compassion flood her heart at the haunted look of pain that flashed over his eyes just before he looked away from her.

Hinata then realized that whatever it was he felt he had to do was of much greater importance to him than anything the Akatsuki wanted from him.

She breathed out anxiously and felt so torn. She watched him as he stared out the window next to her and knew he had suffered greatly over the years for what he had done. Yet, it was her duty as a shinobi to turn him in to the authorities.

As if he could read her mind, his coolly passive voice broke through thoughts. "I will not allow myself to be captured Hinata…many people will end up dying if I am found here."

Hinata nodded in understanding as a tear slipped silently down her cheek. She knew if he was ever to be captured it wasn't going to be because of her. In the short time she had come to know him he was precious to her.

"I won't betray you," she promised him honestly with her heart showing in her eyes.

Itachi watched her closely and knew implicitly he could trust her. He didn't know how or why he could trust her he just knew he could. He had been reading people practically since he was born and knew she was no liar.

Yet, his mind rebelled at the thought of trusting her, because in his whole life he had only ever trusted a handful of people. Yet on this mission he was putting what was left of his future in the hands of an old man and her.

_I must be getting soft,_ Itachi thought derisively to himself feeling like his world has been turned upside down. Nothing with this mission had been what he thought it would be. Again he could feel the unseen hands guiding him and directing him to make decisions he normally wouldn't make.

Turning around solemnly he regarded Hinata as she stood in front of him for several long moments before he came to a decision. He had more than enough blood on his hands, and killing her would destroy what was left of his humanity.

"You may leave…I will not harm you," he promised her quietly as he turned away from her to leave and go back to his bed to lie down.

At his words, Hinata felt relieved and deflated at the same time. She had been so stunned when she had heard his name and knew his identity she almost felt paralyzed with fear. Now she felt reluctant to leave him. He may not allow her to come back and she very much wanted to stay with him.

"Tachi?" She asked softly using the name he gave her. It somehow seemed safer to her to use that name. The other name; his real name, seemed almost as if it belonged to someone else. She had a hard time seeing the man before her as an Akatsuki member and a criminal.

Hinata stared into his charcoal gray eyes and saw sadness and resignation in them. _He wants me to leave him all alone,_ she thought desolately. She didn't want to leave him, she wanted to help him.

Thinking back to a few days ago when she had first met him, she remembered something about him. At the tea ceremonies she had watched him closely and was drawn by the spirit of repentance that was cloaked around him. It dawned on her what he was doing while he was here in Chado, he was preparing himself to die and was seeking peace.

Itachi turned to leave her.

"Good bye Hinata, you have no further obligations to me," he told her unemotionally, his voice was filled with finality. He put his hand on the door knob and began to open the door to leave.

It was a finality Hinata refused to accept.

"I-I…need you."

At her soft words Itachi stood still. He was shocked by her persistence. How could she still care about him even after learning the truth?

Seeing that he didn't leave her, Hinata felt slightly emboldened and tried again.

"I do, I need you."

Hinata's heart sped up as she watched him turn around to look at her. Her heart went out to him when she saw the look on his face. It was one of disbelief as if he couldn't accept that anyone could ever need him. Disbelief soon turned in to derision as he looked away from her, his face hard and cold as a glacier.

"Those who are dead, cannot help the living."

At the bleakness of his words Hinata's breath caught in her throat. He had already given up on living; he was just waiting to die. Unable to stop herself, she launched herself forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"You are not dead yet," she reminded him softly with her face against his chest, her arms were clamped around his waist as if she was refusing to let him leave her.

In complete silence he stood as still as a statue as he drank in her words.

"Please, let me help you…learn how to live again," she said brokenly as she looked up at him stubbornly, daring him to try.

Hard onyx eyes stared off in the distance before he closed his eyes painfully. She did not realize what it was she was asking him to do. Numbness and ruthlessly shutting down all abilities to feel have been the only things keeping him sane all these years. He had made himself dead inside in order to survive.

What she asked of him was impossible.

At his silence and the look on his face Hinata pleaded with him.

"Please Tachi,…give me a chance to help you find peace. I know I…can help you...find it," she whispered brokenly, knowing that if he pushed her away now it would be for the last time. He would never give her another chance to reach him.

Itachi closed his eyes as her words penetrated his mind and heart. Somehow she had found a way past all of the barriers and walls he had around himself and he no longer wanted refuse her.

Slowly wrapping his arms around her he lowered his face and set it against the top of her head in silent surrender.

Against his chest Hinata smiled softly to herself and hugged him tightly, savoring the feel of him against her. There was no going back for her, she knew she was going to love him. Even if it was for only a little while.

**Author's Note:** I made some minor corrections (I always do after I post).

Regarding Hinata, I have based her compassionate and forgiving nature on another character in a similar situation. My pen-name might just give you a clue as to who it is. I will post who it is the next time I update. Please review...I will consider it an early Christmas present.

Edited: 4/26/12


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Looking out of the large kitchen window, Hinata watched him perform the movements of the deadly kata flawlessly. Watching him move like that seemed to be almost an illusion to her.

_How could someone so close to death be able to move like that?_ She thought to herself and tried to make sense of it all. She shook her head when she realized it just wasn't possible…It was all too complicated…just like her relationship to him was.

Hugging herself tightly she looked out the window with a troubled expression on her face. Itachi wasn't making her leave but he wasn't allowing her to get very close either. Yesterday after their big confrontation he simply went to bed and slept for most of the day. In the evening she made a huge dinner for him and Master Eichu, which she could tell they both appreciated a great deal. Then she saw he was still tired, so she went back to her hotel to get a little rest before she had to watch the harbor until morning.

Shino had relieved her very early this morning and she slept for only a few hours. Hinata had made up her mind to sleep as little as possible during this mission, so she could spend as much time as was possible with him before they had to leave the area.

After all, she would have so little time with him as it was, she didn't want to waste even a minute of it. Besides, she could sleep as much as she wanted to after she returned home to Konoha.

The timer went off and Hinata turned around to pull the sweet cinnamon rolls out of the oven. On the stove a beautiful copper tea kettle was boiling hot water for their tea. She set three tea cups on the table, along with the hot tea kettle on a trivet.

Lifting the lid off a pan, she held her nose as the pungent aroma arose from the pan and grimaced in disgust at its contents. 'E_ww Natto_.' She thought as she looked at the fermented soy beans boiling in the pan. They were marvelously nutritious and had a great deal of health benefits but they were disgusting and too strong tasting for her liking. Master Eichu had requested she make some for Itachi.

'_He probably doesn't like them either_.' Hinata thought to herself smiling and told herself that the old man was going to have to be the one to force him to eat it if that was the case, because she wasn't going to do it. She had other things she was going to make him eat to help him get stronger.

After cutting up a large amount of fresh fruit and making some hot porridge she set the table and went out the back door to tell Master Eichu and Itachi it was time to come in for breakfast.

Hinata stepped outside and walked toward the garden and saw Itachi's back was facing her and he was still going through the precise motions of his katas. Activating her Byakugan, she looked around for Master Eichu and saw he was in a small building on the other side of the garden and appeared to be writing in a large book or something.

She began to walk toward the small building to go get him when Itachi's voice stopped her.

"Don't go."

Hinata stopped in stunned silence. He never asked her to stay with him. She looked over at him and saw his hand was signaling for her to join him in performing the kata.

Feeling absolutely giddy at his invitation, she hastily contained herself and calmly stepped beside him and began following his movements. She knew the moves very well for she had been doing them as warm ups before family training sessions for most of her life.

However, performing them with him, felt a whole lot different than it did with her family. She watched him out of the corner of her eye and almost sighed out loud at the deadly, yet graceful fluidity of his movements. And for her to be doing the same movements along with him, brought a warm glow to her cheeks at how intimate it all felt.

Closing her eyes and loving the time spent with him, she gave into the desire to savor the moment. After glancing at him and seeing his look of concentration she hid her feelings and made her face to be a mirror image of his.

oooOOOooo

Master Eichu looked out of the window and watched as the scion of two of the most noble clans and powerful bloodlines of Konoha performed their katas in tandem. As he watched their beautifully precise movements he thought to himself there had to be something to be said about breeding and bloodlines. He normally wasn't someone who thought of such things, even though he himself came from a very privileged background.

It was in the way they carried themselves and the power that naturally flowed through them in their movements. It wasn't something that could be taught, it was bred into them as heirs of powerful clans. Even little Hinata, shy as she was, performed the kata with a deadly accuracy that showed why the Hyuuga clan was so feared throughout the shinobi nations.

He continued to watch in sad and quiet appreciation for the rare sight he was beholding in front of him. Soon the once mighty Uchiha clan was going to get even smaller—down to Itachi's younger brother. It was hard to believe the splendid and deadly looking ninja in front of him was going to be dead soon.

'_What a waste_.' He thought sadly.

He shook his head sorrowfully and wished he could do something to help save him. Feeling frustrated, he pulled a large medical book off the shelf and began pouring through it.

oooOOOooo

As they finished the last movements of their katas, Hinata looked over at Itachi and her concentration almost broke at the unreal and almost otherworldly glow he had around him as the filtered sunlight bathed him through the leaves of the trees that surrounded them in the garden. The airy beams of light that flowed around him only lasted a moment before he moved away from them and only had speckled beams of light on him.

Seeing him like that and knowing his life was almost over reminded Hinata just how unfair it all was. '_Kami, why __him_?" She thought in frustration as a tear slipped down her cheek. Unable to keep her composure around him without breaking down she began walking away from him toward the house.

Itachi's hand on her wrist stopped her. Hinata sniffled slightly as he pulled her closer to him and efficiently, yet very gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I am not afraid to die, Hinata." He reminded her again, his voice was soothing and very patient.

At his attempt to comfort her along with his words, Hinata almost broke down again. She valiantly pulled herself together and looked at the calm look on his face.

"I-I don't understand how you can be so accepting about dying." She told him with confusion and frustration in her eyes. Looking away from him she looked down at the ground as she came to the painful conclusion.

"It almost seems to me…that you actually…welcome death." She observed sadly and hoped it wasn't true. He was just too young to die and for him to want to die was even more tragic.

Itachi kept hold of her hand and with his other hand he gently forced her to look at him before he answered her.

"I do Hinata…when the time comes…I will welcome it." He told her with complete honesty. His eyes had a caged expression in them that showed her just how much his dying would be a form of release from a hell that she could not even imagine.

Hinata closed her eyes unable to bear the haunted look in his eyes. It was too raw, too painful. Her mind raced as she thought of a way to help him. She couldn't think of anything other than to hold him and never let go.

Bravely trying to hold back the tears, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She listened to the steady beating of his heart. He was so solid, so alive…_'It's all so unfair_.' She thought as she held onto him desperately.

Itachi held her and smoothed her hair out with his hand as she cried in his arms. It was a strange feeling to him that almost felt as if her tears were acting as a catharsis, a purifying agent. Somehow, being around her made him feel lighter…freer.

"Ah…Hinata…" He said so quietly against her hair she could barely hear him.

There was nothing for him to say. What could he say in the face of such devotion and steadfastness? He had never met anyone like her; the only other person he could even compare her to was Naruto and his insane quest to bring his brother back to Konoha no matter what.

Somehow meeting her, made his sacrifices for the village mean something more to him. He wasn't just protecting his brother and nameless, faceless villagers. Now he was also protecting her.

"Arigato...Hinata." He said with quiet sincerity threaded throughout his words.

At his words and the tone of his voice, Hinata felt moved beyond tears, but gave a watery smile against his chest and wondered why he was thanking her. She didn't feel like she really did anything for him except for cry all over the front of his shirt and try to care for him.

Hinata wiped her eyes with her hands a little ruefully when she saw how wet the front of his shirt was. She determined to try harder not to cry in front of him anymore, she wanted to be strong for him and she knew her becoming emotional all the time was only going to upset him.

A rumbling noise from his stomach interrupted her thoughts. Hinata smiled about forgetting to tell him about breakfast. Looking up at him with a lopsided grin she told him with an attempted light tone of voice.

"I am sorry; I forgot to tell you…breakfast is ready."

Itachi acknowledged her attempt at lightening the mood around them with a nod of approval at her.

"That is fine; I am going to take a shower first." He told her as he removed his arms from her and began walking with relaxed strides toward the small guest cottage he was staying in.

"Okay, I will go reheat everything up again." She told him as she headed back toward the main house to get breakfast ready again. Rubbing her arms lightly as if cold, she already missed the feel of him holding her close to him.

'_You better get used to it_.' A small voice in her head reminded her that this time with him was only temporary. Shutting off the voice completely she opened the door to the kitchen and saw Master Eichu was already heating up the water and was preparing a special brew of tea for them. Hinata smiled in anticipation, knowing that whatever it was he was preparing would be unique and taste delicious.

She opened the lid to the porridge and saw it was cold and looked unappetizing. She emptied it into the garbage and made a new batch. As she was watching it boil, she turned to Master Eichu and asked him about the painting on the wall. It was a brilliantly painted picture full of bright colors and loaded with religious symbolism. She was very curious about it. It reminded her of a story from when she was little.

"The painting depicts the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu Omikami, emerging from a cave and bringing back sunlight to the universe." He told her as he pointed to others in the painting.

"Her brother, the storm god, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, had angered her and she hid herself in a heavenly cave causing the earth to be darkened and the crops to die. When she finally emerged, she brought forth light, life and renewal of growth to the whole world. Her followers call her the sun goddess because of the warmth and compassion she has for them. "

Master Eichu pointed to another goddess. "That is her sister, the moon goddess…"

"Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto." Itachi supplied for him as he came around the corner.

He had come inside and stopped suddenly when he had heard Master Eichu explain about the deities in the picture. Because of his poor eyesight he had never noticed what was in the painting, it all looked like a blur of colors to him. Now it only confirmed to him even more that this time of rest that had been given to him, and was no accident. He also knew it was no coincidence that Master Eichu had a painting depicting the deities of his three most powerful jutsu...He was meant to come here.

"Ah, Itachi…come in, my boy. I see you are familiar with the goddesses." He said with a pleased smile on his face. It saddened him that many young were not being taught the old ways of his religion. He was very impressed with Itachi's knowledge of them.

Itachi nodded respectfully acknowledging his approval and took his seat at the table. He smiled a little grimly to himself.

'_You have no idea how well acquainted with them I am._' He thought, knowing part of his power was derived from the ancient power derived from the gods themselves. The power of his jutsu was terrifying, but not without a price. He knew part of his illness came from his jutsu. Every time he used Susanoo, it ravaged his body and weakened him considerably.

Master Eichu poured him a cup of fragrant tea and set it before him. He also set several capsules of herbal medicine in front of him.

"Itachi, the tea I made for both of you is very potent for cleaning toxins and impurities from your blood. I also had Hinata make some Natto for you that is very important for keeping you from developing blood clots in your lungs." He explained patiently.

At the mention of Natto, Itachi's face had a slight look of distaste on it, before manners made him remove it. Hinata saw that look and smiled as she stirred the porridge. She saw it was done and she removed two small bowls from the cupboard and dished up a couple scoops of the Natto and some porridge for him. She hid an impish smile as she set them both in front of him.

'_Ah Sasuke…the things I do for you_.' Itachi mentally complained to his absent younger brother before taking a large bite of the Natto. He quickly shoved another spoonful in his mouth before he swallowed the nasty stuff. He chased the horrible taste in his mouth by drinking the entire contents of his tea in one gulp.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and looked behind him when he heard a muffled snort of laughter from Hinata.

Her laughter soon turned to dismay when Master Eichu told her he wanted her to eat the nasty stuff too.

"But...I..." She spluttered before she saw a look on Itachi's face that told her he was amused by her predicament.

"It's very good for you." Her host told her firmly.

Not wanting to argue with her host or give Itachi the satisfaction of seeing her back down, she scooped a bowl of the stuff for herself and sat down at the table across from Itachi. She looked warily at the fermented soybeans in her bowl and held her breath as she bravely lifted up the spoon to her mouth and took a bite of it.

She grimaced and hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself by vomiting as she forced another bite into her mouth. Just as Itachi did, she swallowed it quickly and gulped down what was left of her tea in one swallow. Lifting up her napkin, she dotted the corners of her mouth daintily and glanced over at Itachi who was staring at her openly with a slightly amused smirk on his face.

Her cheeks began to grow warm as she shared an amused look with him. They stared at each other for a while before Master Eichu spoke disrupting them.

"I don't know why you guys don't like this stuff. I have been eating it for years—it tastes fine to me." He told them with a large grin.

Hinata began to laugh happily as she poured them all some more tea and passed the plate of cut up fruit and a sweet roll towards Itachi.

Master Eichu looked at both of them benevolently like a grandfather would. As he told them last night at dinner, he and his wife were very close to both of their mothers when they were young girls. The two of them came to visit them for a few summers and would receive training in the Way and his wife would spoil them endlessly taking them to the ocean and shopping. He remembered they were wonderful times.

He looked at the two young people sitting at the table with him and regretted never being able to have children of his own. They were the closest thing to grandchildren he would ever have. He also knew it had been one of the dearest wish of both their mothers that the two of them be wed someday. He thought it was too bad the way things worked out for both of them, because in his mind they were perfectly suited for each other.

oooOOOooo

After lunch Itachi went to lie down and take a nap, while Hinata went to the market. Master Eichu had given her some money along with a list of supplies of food he wanted her to prepare and she could also buy supplies for whatever else she wanted to make.

When she came back from shopping she was very tired from staying up and watching the harbor at night. Walking out into the peaceful and fragrant garden she sat under a tree to relax and enjoy the nice weather. It was only a few moments later before she was lulled by the sound of the brook bubbling behind her and the comfort of the shade and fell asleep.

Itachi went to go in the house when he saw her asleep under the tree. He walked over toward her slowly and thought she should sense his presence by now, but saw she was still fast asleep.

'_She should never let her guard down like that._' He complained shaking his head slightly in irritation.

Hinata awoke when she felt him standing over her looking down on her. The very thought of those dark eyes watching her while she slept made her pulse race. Warmth began to spread all over her body. She couldn't deny it any longer; she had it very bad for him.

"Hinata, I know you are awake."

Startled Hinata smiled and bit her lip slightly as she opened her eyes and looked up at him shyly.

"A good ninja never lets down their guard." Itachi told her as he sat down next to her and looked over at her a little sternly.

The words caught in her throat and she cleared it slightly before she answered him.

"I know." She said a little glumly.

"I haven't been sleeping much lately." She admitted to him tiredly.

"You have been watching the harbor at night." Itachi told her flatly. He was leaning back against the tree with his eyes closed.

Hinata was shocked that he knew about that. She never once told him that she did that at night.

"How did you know?... I never told you."

Itachi grinned slightly in a knowing way before he answered her.

"We used to be neighbors when I stayed at the hotel. My balcony was right next to yours." He told her a little mysteriously.

At his revelation, Hinata's mind went back to the night she fell asleep on duty and wondered if he had anything to do with it.

"D-did I happen to see you with my Byakugan activated one night?" She asked a little suspiciously.

The corner of Itachi's mouth went up slightly in amusement.

"Yes." He answered cryptically.

Hinata turned to him and waited for him to give her more details of what happened.

Itachi sighed annoyed at her persistence.

"I used my Sharingan on you to make you forget you ever saw me and fall asleep."

Hinata smiled in relief when she realized she didn't fail that night. She did her duty, he was just too powerful for her. She also knew she was right that he didn't want to kill her, he could have so easily on that night and her team-mates too, but he didn't.

"You could have killed me but you didn't." Hinata told him quietly with a soft smile on her face as she looked over at him.

Itachi rolled his eyes mentally. '_She's right, I have become soft_.' He thought with derision and self disgust.

"I didn't want you to alert your team-mates to my presence. You are the only one who has the ability to see past my disguise." He admitted reluctantly slightly irritated.

Itachi closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tree and tried to go to sleep.

Feeling warm at his indirect praise of her abilities, Hinata smiled softly to herself. She scooted over closer to him so her arm was touching his. It comforted her to touch him, it reminded her that he was still alive—and still here with her.

She wanted time to stand still and this moment to last forever. It was just so peaceful sitting next to him in the shade. Sighing slightly to herself she tried to just enjoy the time she still had with him.

Hinata couldn't resist the urge to peak over at him while he slept. She was shocked when her eyes locked onto his onyx eyes watching her. Itachi slowly reached over and gently brushed his fingertips over her cheek. His eyes never left hers.

"Itachi?" Hinata asked him as if in a daze. The way he was looking at her was something she had never seen him do.

"Anything more between us would be foolishness." He told her as though he was speaking to himself as well. He kept leaning towards her.

Hinata feeling slightly mesmerized by the softness in his black eyes could only answer mindlessly.

"It would?"

Itachi sighed as he leaned closer toward her. His mouth hovered just over hers.

"Yes, it would." He told her softly just before his mouth lightly touched hers.

****Merry Christmas!***

**Author's Note: **I left it here so I can still make them friends (well really good friends that like each other a lot.) Anyway, I will open it up to you guys. From what I am hearing from the majority of you reading this story is that you want them to be more than friends. I can go either way; I already have the ending figured out.

Naruto Shipuuden episode 141 made me cry at the end. The way Itachi spoke to his brother at the end was so moving and the scene that flashed back to when they were children was wonderful and touching. If you haven't watched it already—go do it now. You won't be disappointed.

**Super Freaking spoiler alert: (12/26)** Close your eyes or stop reading if you don't want to know. Itachi may be alive!! He shows up at the end the latest manga chapter posted on 12/25. I hope he is alive, Kishi better not be screwing with us. That would be too evil to raise our hopes so high and then crush them--Please Kishimoto, let him live.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Way of Tea**

**~Chapter 9~**

_Let's lighten things up shall we…_

Hinata leaned forward and felt herself soften against him as his lips gently touched hers. Unschooled as she was in the ways of love, she yielded herself to him and trusted him as his lips slowly moved against hers.

The sheer tenderness of his touch amazed her and she knew she had been right about him all along. He was not at all like he seemed. Underneath that forbidding, wary and unemotional exterior was a very deep and caring man.

Wanting her even closer to him he placed his arms around her and gently brushed his mouth over hers. The sense of peace, the feel of her in his arms with her lips against his began to intoxicate him.

Using his body he leaned her back against the tree, and heard her gasp. Before his conscience could tell him what he was doing was wrong he lowered his mouth down to hers again. Slanting his mouth a little he kissed her deeper.

Sighing softly against his mouth, Hinata began to wonder how something Itachi thought was so wrong for them to do, could feel… oh…so…right. Soon she lost the ability to form any more thoughts as his kisses began to make her mind feel increasingly sluggish.

Feeling her heart thudding heavily in her chest, Hinata's lips parted in anticipation as his lips became more demanding, almost hungry as they moved over hers. Unable to help herself, she shyly lifted her hands and settled them around the nape of his neck.

Savoring the innocent touch of her hands behind his neck, Itachi slowly opened his eyes and looked down at her. Using his Sharingan he quickly captured the moment like a snapshot.

His eyes took in her parted lips and soft warm skin. He knew it definitely was not friendship he felt for her.

He wanted her.

Sobering instantly at the thought, he drew a ragged breath and pulled away from her and sat up.

"I shouldn't have done that." He told her apologetically and felt irritated by his lack of control.

"Please don't apologize, Itachi." Hinata told him as she sat up dazedly as his words began to sink in her foggy brain. She frowned slightly as it seemed wrong to let him apologize for something she had wanted from him; practically from the moment she met him.

"I-I am…glad you did." She confessed to him shyly as she looked at the ground between them.

"I have wanted you to…um…almost from the moment I met you." She added as some imp of honesty in her compelled her to tell him the truth.

Closing his eyes, Itachi knew she spoke the truth. He had felt the attraction between them almost from the beginning. His mind recalled the incident back at the hotel where he had kissed her before he erased her memory.

"Hai, it has been the same for me." He admitted to her quietly. He felt her honesty, deserved no less from him.

His openness stunned her, but the words he said robbed her of her breath.

A slow blush crept up her cheeks as she repeated his words in her mind. Hinata realized deep down it wasn't as big of a surprise to her as it should have been. Somehow she had always known he wasn't indifferent to her. It was one of the things that kept her coming back to him as he pushed her way.

Hinata looked up and saw his brain working and knew that was never a good thing for her. If he thought about what was happening between them too much, he usually was against having anything to do with her.

Unwilling to give him up because of some mistaken need of his to protect her, she laid her hand softly on his arm and looked into his eyes.

"Itachi?"

His dark eyes looked back at her curiously.

"Please, just let _us_ happen." She asked, her eyes pleaded with his.

Unable to deny the longing he heard in her voice, he pulled her into his arms.

Looking out over the top of her head, he was impressed at her ability to read him. He _had_ been considering putting some distance between them.

Feeling her wrapped tightly around him with her face cuddled against him, he rolled his eyes at what a pathetic softy he was becoming.

"You are far too trusting Hinata." He warned her seriously.

Smiling softly in relief, Hinata buried her face in his shoulder. She knew by his words, he was giving into her yet he still felt compelled to warn her to be careful.

"Only with you." She replied shyly.

Her words brought a skeptical look to his face, as he knew for a ninja she was far too trusting and open.

"Liar, you trust everyone." He accused her flatly, but the small smirk on his face told her he was teasing her.

Hinata gave a self-depreciating laugh as she looked up at him, because she knew he was right.

"Okay, you're right… I am too trusting." She admitted to him blushing and hid her face from him.

"I'll try to work on it." She promised him softly as she tilted her head back and looked up at him.

Itachi rolled his eyes. They both knew she wouldn't, but that wouldn't stop him from trying.

"I'll see that you do." He said in a low voice just before he closed the gap between their mouths.

At the touch of his mouth against hers, Hinata closed her eyes blissfully and wrapped her arms around him for support. _Oh Kami_…She thought feeling faint.

Several moments later she was back on his lap with their arms wrapped around each other when Itachi sensed Master Eichu's presence as he was coming out of his small office behind them. He pulled away from her and Hinata sensing something was wrong looked behind her she saw the healer and quickly climbed off his lap.

Feeling slightly embarrassed at her behavior she stood up.

"Hello, you two." He said in greeting as he approached them.

Hinata blushed hotly when she saw the twinkle in his eye. She knew he had seen what they had been doing.

"Um Hello, Master." She replied quietly, unable to look him in the eye.

The old man looked over at both them benevolently and a little sadly. He knew they wouldn't have much time together. He decided to stay out of their way and let them be happy. Turning slightly towards Itachi, he handed him his medicine.

"Here, it is time for your next dose." He said as he handed it to him, his eyes twinkled knowingly.

"Apparently, you are feeling a little better?"

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he got what the old man implied about him and Hinata.

"Yes Master, I am improving." He admitted truthfully. He was still far from well, but his lungs didn't hurt as much and he could gradually feel some of his strength returning as well.

Master Eichu beamed, he was glad to see him improving. He wanted desperately to be able to do more for him.

"I am glad to hear it." He told him almost distractedly as he shifted the letters he had in his hands slightly.

"Well, you two are on your own for dinner tonight. I have to mail some letters and go to a meeting." The old man told them as he started walking away.

"Okay, bye Master." Hinata said relieved as she watched him go.

Itachi watched as the old man left and turned to Hinata, his gaze became thoughtful.

"We--ll,… I guess I could go make us some dinner." She told him blushing, feeling a little uncomfortable now that they were completely alone. She began to walk towards the house.

Reaching out he placed his hand on her arm and stopped her.

"I have a better idea, let's go out." He told her with a trace of warmth in his voice.

"Alright…t-that sounds good." She replied relatively calmly, though inside her pulse quickened at the thought of spending time alone with him.

Itachi turned away from her and began walking towards the guesthouse.

"I will meet you back here in fifteen minutes."

Hinata couldn't stop herself from smiling as she went into the house to get cleaned up. Itachi never said the actual words but she knew what tonight really meant.

He was taking her on a date.

Upstairs in the bathroom, Hinata looked at herself critically. She was wearing a pink sun-dress, which she decided reluctantly would be fine for tonight. Knowing him, he probably didn't bring anything fancy with him. Casual dressing would probably be for the best.

Hinata looked at her face closely in the mirror and gasped as she almost didn't recognize herself. Her face was glowing and her lips were slightly swollen from being kissed so many times. She blushed heavily when she saw her hair was a tangled mess from him running his hands through it.

Her eyes became slightly dreamy and unfocused as she relived the feel of him against her as he kissed her. Glancing at the clock she realized she didn't have much time and she forced herself to stop dallying. The light left her eyes as she realized soon enough, her memories of him would be all she had left of him.

Determinedly pushing those sad thoughts away, she splashed cold water on her face and began combing her hair. Her eyes began to dance with anticipation as she looked out the window and saw he was already waiting for her.

Taking one more glance at herself in the mirror, she put on her sunglasses and raced down the stairs to meet him.

oooOOOooo

Walking through town with him, Hinata noticed several looks directed their way from envious females. She flinched as some of them were openly hostile towards her. It was beginning to make her feel very insecure even though he was with her.

She glanced over at Itachi as he was seemingly unaware of the attention he was getting. Sighing glumly to herself, she figured with his looks he was probably used to it.

"Just ignore them." Itachi told her as he wrapped his hand firmly around hers.

Feeling a lot better, she glanced over at him gratefully.

Looking around she noticed they were close to the café/teahouse she had chosen for them.

"I hope this place is good. I-I have been wanting to go there ever since I saw it." She told him rambling on a little nervously.

"I am sure it will be fine." He told her reassuringly.

Hinata looked over at him and smiled shyly. She noticed he had changed his eyes to dark blue again. She liked his blue eyes, but she was beginning to prefer his dark gray eyes. Warmth began to cover her cheeks as she thought of how they looked earlier just before he kissed her. Her eyes began to become a little dreamy…

"We're here." Itachi told her as he placed his hand under her elbow and began leading her up the steps to the café. Amused at how abruptly she stopped, he leaned over to her and whispered.

"You seem distracted."

Scrunching her eyes a little in embarrassment she groaned as she realized she was going to have to stop daydreaming about him all the time, especially around him. He was annoyingly sharp and noticed practically everything she did.

"No…really, I am fine." She replied breathlessly, feeling flustered.

Wiping her sweaty palm on the side of her dress, Hinata had to admit to herself she was a little nervous. This was her first date after all and she didn't have a clue what to talk to him about. It wasn't as if he was the talkative type. For that matter, neither was she.

Then she turned to look at him as he told the hostess how many was in their party. She sighed a little happily, and realized it really didn't matter. They were here together and even if they didn't talk much, she had a feeling he probably preferred a quiet meal.

Hinata looked around the small café and liked the traditional look of it. The atmosphere was very peaceful with small bonsai trees and she saw several low tables spread out around the room with pads for people to sit on as they dined.

As the hostess took them to their table she noticed Itachi took the side of the table that faced the whole room with the wall to his back. Smiling to herself a little at his predictable alertness, she seated herself across from him.

A few minutes later a waiter came along and gave them their menus and filled their glasses with water. Glad for something to do other than sit there in nervous silence Hinata gratefully picked up her menu.

She stared at it for a few moments before she became disinterested in it. Glancing at him over the top of her menu at him, she studied him and soon became aware of a few things about him.

The wary look she had noticed before about him was back on his face. It seemed while she could forget he was a wanted S rank criminal, she realized sadly he couldn't. The other thing she noticed was he didn't even try to read his menu.

Frowning slightly to herself, she began to suspect something about him.

"Um, do you know what you want?" She asked him, being careful not to mention his name out loud in public.

At her question Itachi stiffened slightly. He knew she was going to notice he didn't even try to read the menu. Figuring she was going to find out sooner or later about his poor vision he decided to just get it over with.

"I will just have whatever you are having." He answered offhandedly as he looked at her and then glared off into the distance.

His answer confirmed what she had suspected about him over the past few days.

_His eyesight is bad. _

Hinata stared at him with concern for a few moments before she looked back down at her menu and decided to pretend to be ignorant of his disability. She could tell it really bothered him to even talk about it.

"Well, I think I will have…" She said lightly, deliberately forgetting the last few moments happened.

"Let me see...the chicken with rice or… there is grilled steak…." She glanced over to see his reaction and could tell by the slight grimace that he didn't like steak.

Glancing over the menu again she named off a few other things. At her mention of grilled teriyaki shrimp with grilled vegetables, his eyes lit up slightly. She knew what he wanted.

"Um, I am really hungry do you mind if I also order a plate of assorted appetizers?" She asked him as she smiled at him.

Itachi leaned over and put his hand around hers, realizing there was no one else like her. She was truly kind; he felt a reluctant emotion stir in his heart as he looked at her.

"You may order whatever you want." He told her softly as he continued to stare at her.

Hinata feeling his eyes on her looked over at him shyly and smiled helplessly back at him.

"Are you ready to order?" The waiter asked politely as he unknowing disrupted a moment they were having.

Hinata was going to order for both of them when Itachi spoke up politely and took care of it. Smiling in surprise at him when ordered exactly what she wanted, her eyebrows lifted slightly when she wondered how he had figured out what she had wanted for dinner, she had never told him.

"Um, …how did you know I wanted chicken for dinner?"

"I heard a slight inflection in your voice when you read it off." He explained to her looking slightly bored.

Hinata frowned a little when she suddenly remembered in the bingo book she had read about him a while back that he was a genius. Her face became even more tense when she realized that from the moment she met him, he has probably been able to read all of her emotions. It made her feel a little naked and exposed to him.

She glanced over at him and saw he was watching her as he leaned back against the wall. Feeling very uncomfortable she looked away from him.

"Hinata, look at me."

Unable to resist him, she looked over at him and searched his eyes.

"I like what I see in you." He told her softly as he leaned forward.

Momentarily stunned and by his words and the softness in his voice Hinata could only manage a weak. "You do?"

"Yes." He replied as if he was slightly irritated by the fact.

His tone seemed more like his normal self and it made Hinata relax and smile.

"Well, I like you too." She told him as she blushed and looked at the table.

"I know." He replied quietly.

Hinata looked down at the table and wished she was able to hide her emotions better.

Looking up she saw their waiter come up to their table with their food. Relief flooded her mind, as their conversation was becoming little too personal for her comfort. She hoped he wasn't able to see just how deep her feelings for him actually were.

As the waiter set their food in front of them, Hinata tried to do her best imitation of her cousin Neji and made her face as impassive and remote as she possible could. After a while her face began to hurt.

Itachi watched her as he ate, wondering how long she could pull off such a look. Such a look almost seemed unnatural on her; he thought it made her look just like the rest of her clan.

He remembered her arrogant, haughty father and knew her life under such a man couldn't have been easy for her. Yet, it impressed him that she had the strength of character to remain true to herself.

A slight smile came to his face when he saw her give up and laugh a little at herself for being so foolish. He knew she wouldn't be able to maintain it for very long.

Sadness filled his eyes when he realized after being around him and the pain she would feel when it was all over, she would soon lose that open look of innocence. Soon enough, she would learn like the rest of them how to wear the mask.

He was almost glad he wouldn't be around to see it.

After dinner, he paid the bill and they walked around town. Hinata's eyes lit up when she saw the dango stand.

"Do you…um… like dango?" She asked him shyly.

"Yes."

Hinata laughed happily as he practically dragged her over to the booth. _He must really like the stuff_. She thought amused as she watched him order several sticks. Her face began to grow warm when she realized they had more in common than she ever could imagine.

She looked around for a table and sat down and waited for him.

A few minutes later he brought over the order of dango to the table and handed her one. Knowing she would probably be too shy to reach for one herself. Hinata took the stick gratefully from him.

Sitting next to him with his leg touching hers, eating one of her favorite sweets, Hinata thought life really couldn't get better than this. She turned to look at him and saw he was watching her.

She blushed when she realized he seemed to watch her a lot. All through dinner she felt his eyes on her. At first it made her uncomfortable then it made her feel delightfully warm.

"You shouldn't look at me like that." He warned her with a small smirk.

"Like what?" She asked him feeling flustered.

Suddenly she watched as he dissipated in front of her. Looking around in shock, she wondered where he disappeared to. In the distance she heard Akamaru barking with Kiba right next him.

"Yo, Hinata," he said when he spotted her and began walking in her direction.

Flustered, Hinata waved back at him and tried to greet them as calmly as she could.

Kiba sat down noisily next to her and looked at the large plate in the middle of the table. Picking up one of the sticks of dango off the plate he looked curiously at her.

"Did you order all of that for yourself?"

Hinata blushed. "Well,…I was really hungry. You know how much I like dango."

Kiba grinned; he definitely knew his team-mate liked sweets.

"So, what have ya been up to?"

"Oh, just walking around." She told him as she looked away from him, not technically lying; she had been walking around, just not alone.

Somewhat nervously, Hinata stood up to go; she really wanted to find Itachi.

"Kiba, you and Akamaru may have the rest of the dango. I need to go to Master Eichu's house and do some chores." She told him with a slight blush on her face.

Kiba looked at her carefully and thought she had been acting awfully strange lately.

"Okay, I will see you later then." He told her while shrugging his shoulders and picked up another stick and gave some to his partner.

"I will check in soon, I promise." Hinata told him before she ran off.

Looking around, Hinata could not find Itachi anywhere. She finally hid herself behind a small shop and activated her Byakugan.

Within moments she located him about a block away behind a building. Realizing he must be waiting for her, she hurried over in his direction and began walking around the building.

Just before she came around the corner, silent as a whisper, hands seized her and lips came down on hers as he pinned her against the wall.

"You let your guard down Hinata." He whispered firmly to her in between kisses.

"But...mmpf" She tried to tell him she knew all along it was him in the alley, but his mouth kept cutting her off. Pretty soon she gave up and began to laugh against his lips.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he began to kiss the hollows of her neck.

"Um, I knew…it was you all along." She told him breathlessly as she melted against him.

"I am relieved to hear that…you don't allow anyone else to do this to you." He admonished her before his mouth moved back to her lips. Lifting his mouth off of hers he leaned his forehead against hers and looked down at her with semi-relaxed eyes.

Hinata was delighted with his light mood and knew he was only messing with her. Somehow she felt tears threaten to overtake her as she looked up at him and hoped she would always remember how he looked at this moment.

Fighting the tears she tried to keep her tone light as she answered him.

"Only you… I don't want anyone else."

At her words, Itachi closed his eyes in pain. Suddenly death wasn't looking as comforting as it used to.

"I know." He told her soothingly, knowing she was close to tears. He sighed.

"Hinata, go back to your room and rest."

"But, I don't want to leave you." She protested as she looked up at him.

"I will rest too and then later tonight, come back to Master Eichu's house and I will stay with as you watch over the harbor."

Hinata began to blush at the thought of staying up and watching the beautiful harbor in the moonlight with him.

"Okay." She told him as she hugged him tightly to her. Itachi yawned and Hinata immediately began to fuss over him.

"I'm fine." He told her stoically.

Hinata saw the tiredness on his face and realized it was time for her to go back to her hotel. He needed his rest.

Feeling sad at having to leave him, Hinata turned to go.

"I will see you later…I-I had…a lovely time with you." She told him softly.

Itachi stepped forward and putting his hands on her shoulders, he drew her closer to him and kissed the side of her neck.

"I'm glad Hinata." He told her against her skin just before he disappeared.

Hinata smiled as she began heading back to the hotel. He was really good at keeping her off balanced all the time.

oooOOOooo

Several hours later, Hinata sat closely next to him on top of the hill above Master Eichu's house with a blanket wrapped around the two of them as she watched the harbor. The sky was filled with stars and the moonlight shimmered off of the water. Under the blanket her hand rested lightly in his.

She smiled to herself when she realized there would be no kissing or anything even remotely like that between them tonight. Even though they both wanted to. He understood the mission had to come first and it just seemed wrong for those things to happen while she was technically on duty.

Looking out over the water, she was surprised she was even able to come out here, because Shino didn't like the idea of her not being close to them if something bad were to happen.

Hinata was surprised when Kiba had stood up for her and told him he knew the place she was going and it wasn't far away. Hinata told them she could be back at the hotel in a matter of minutes if she needed them. Shino stared hard at her for a moment before he finally relented.

Just before she left, she looked over at Kiba as he slept and silently thanked him. She was grateful for both of her team-mates, somehow they both knew this was important to her and trusted her enough to know she would never do anything that would jeopardize the mission.

Sitting next to her with the blanket wrapped around them, Itachi began to feel tired. He knew he could stay up if he really wanted to, but he realized rest was important to his recovery.

"Hinata?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes?"

He leaned over and kissed her softly before he laid his head on her lap and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight." He told her tiredly.

Smiling softly at him, realizing he was tired, she covered him up with the blanket.

"Goodnight Itachi." She told him quietly.

Gently brushing his bangs out of his eyes, she was surprised when he reached down and pulled her hand under the blanket and kept his firmly wrapped around it.

Smiling to herself she reactivated her Byakugan and resumed her watch over the harbor. Watching him occasionally as he slept, she grinned as she realized she would be able to stare at him as much as she wanted without him knowing about it.

Looking down at him she watched as his lips moved slightly in a smirk and she knew she would never get away with staring at him all night. Somehow he would know she was doing it.

Sighing softly to herself in amusement, she forced her eyes back out over the water.

**Author's Note:** Phew (wiping my brow) It took me over two days to write this chapter, but I finally got through my writer's block on this story and I am back on track. As you can see, I made them more than friends. After all of the angst and sadness I decided to lighten the mood. I hope you all like it. I will try to post again within a week.

Thanks so much to all of you who left me reviews on the previous chapters, this chapter is for all of you.


	10. Chapter 10

_The way of Tea_

_Ch 10_

(_Aijou-Love, Affection_)

(I had an awful time loading this, anyone else experiencing problems like that?)

Coming through the door early in the morning Hinata closed it quietly behind her not wanting to wake up her team mates. Akamaru followed her as she slipped out silently out on to the balcony and took a deep cleansing breath of sea air.

"Byakugan." She said softly as she activated her eyes and took one last look out over the harbor. She forced herself to look out as far as she could and breathed a sigh of relief. It was clear for miles, no sign of pirate ships were anywhere.

Reaching over to Akamaru, she petted him behind the ears distractedly.

"Oh Akamaru,… we get to stay here a little bit longer." Hinata said achingly with her heart in her voice as she stared out over the water.

_I still have more time with him_.

A small smile was on her lips as she thought of how he just seemed to touch some remote part of her that no one else had ever touched before. Everything about being with him…just felt right. To her, it was almost scary to her how perfectly they fit together.

Hinata eyes became softly unfocused as she thought about him…

"Hinata."

Shino's precise voice broke through the fog of her daydreaming.

Her first thought was of Itachi, when he told her she let her guard down yesterday. Her skin began to flush with warmth at the thought of him and how he always kept her off balance.

Turning around reluctantly she saw Kiba and Shino behind her. Both of them were staring at her with stunned expressions on their faces at how different she looked.

Her face was softly luminous and there was a light in her eyes that neither one of them had ever seen in her eyes before.

For a moment she was astonishingly beautiful. Then she put her face down and covered her emotions and looking up became just their team-mate again.

Frowning, Shino and Kiba looked at each other for a moment before they turned their eyes back toward her.

"Um, Shino, the harbor is all clear and I have not seen any activity all night." She reported to him with only a slight blush on her face.

Shino examined her for a long moment before he shifted his glasses slightly.

"Thank you Hinata, Kiba and I will take over from here. You may rest."

Hinata nodded before going inside to get ready to sleep for a little while. Before she went to bed, she carefully set an alarm clock so she would wake up in a few hours. Sighing happily before she fell asleep, she couldn't wait to see him again.

Out on the deck, Kiba said the words they were both thinking out loud.

"What is going on with her?"

"I think she is in love." Shino said logically. Behind both of them Akamaru barked confirming it.

"Akamaru told me he could smell someone else's scent on her. She is definitely seeing someone." He said with a frown on his face.

"Have you seen her with anyone Kiba?"

Kiba thought for a moment before he answered him.

"Uh no, but she did tell me she has been taking care of a sick friend and Akamaru and I ran into her yesterday eating dango by herself in town." He said putting his hand on his chin.

Akamaru barked.

Kiba looked thoughtful as he translated what his partner said to him.

"You don't say…hmm, I didn't notice."

Above his shades, Shino lifted an eyebrow expressively waiting for Kiba to let him in the conversation. It always annoyed him how people ignored him all the time.

Kiba took his time answering just because he secretly enjoyed annoying his super-silent team-mate.

"Akamaru smelled his scent nearby where Hinata was eating dango yesterday and he said it is the same scent that is on her now."

Shino looked out over the ocean as he considered what to do about this situation, since he is technically the team leader.

"Well, what should we do about it?" Kiba asked impatiently.

Deep in thought, Shino tapped his pointer finger on the balcony a few times before he answered him.

"We should just keep an eye on her for now, to make sure he is not seeing someone dangerous or could possibly affect the mission." Shino told him calmly as he made the decision.

"I don't know…" Kiba said hesitantly with a frown on his face. "I don't think she will like us checking up on her. She can be kind of private when she wants to be."

"Yes, what you say is true; however, I do not think she is always the best judge of character." Shino replied acerbically.

"Hey, why do you say that?" Kiba interjected loyally, standing up for Hinata.

Shaking his head a little at his team-mate's denseness, "She used to _like_ Naruto, remember."

"Oh yeah, good point." Kiba replied as he rolled his eyes, and had to reluctantly agree with Shino. Besides, Hinata was also ridiculously soft hearted. Yup, they definitely needed to keep an eye on her.

oooOOOooo

Entering through the gate to the backyard Hinata looked around and didn't see anyone in the area. Wondering where everyone was, she noticed Master Eichu was in his office and gave him a jaunty little wave when he looked up at her.

Smiling when he saw her, he gave her a distracted wave before he looked back down at the book in front of him and went back to work.

Hinata smiled fondly as she wondered what he was working on so hard lately. Shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, her attention was caught by all of the lovely flowers in the garden. The morning sunlight was gleaming down on them in full bloom, tempting her to cut some to display on the kitchen table.

After going into the shed to get some shears she began cutting a couple of each different type of flower. Breathing in the delicate fragrance of the blooms, she began to think of pressing them later to put in her diary back home as a remembrance of this place.

"_Ah…this place_." She tried to put into words what being here meant to her and couldn't. The words just didn't exist that could describe it accurately. To her it was simply their peaceful idyll from the rest of the world. It was just the two of them, along with their own dear grandfather.

She was almost finished cutting flowers in the garden when she felt a slight shift in the air around her. Activating her Byakugan she turned around quickly and saw Itachi standing directly behind her.

"Better." He told her with a trace amount of approval in his voice.

Overjoyed at seeing him again, Hinata's face lit up.

"I am trying to… be more alert." She replied slightly out of breath. Her heart was still racing after having him appear so suddenly behind her.

"Good." He told her as the corner of his mouth turned up slowly.

A soft smile formed on her mouth when as naturally as breathing he leaned toward her and placed his arms around her. Without thinking she lifted her mouth eagerly towards his in greeting. Burying his hands in her hair he tipped her head back as his lips brushed back and forth over hers. His kisses were tantalizingly slow and tender as he drew her closer to him.

Sensing Master Eichu coming out of his office Itachi broke away from her and placing his hand around hers began walking toward the house.

"Um Itachi?"

"Yes?"

"I have noticed that um…you are very good at sensing when others are nearby." She told him with a blush on her cheeks. "Do you think you could teach me how to get better at it?"

Itachi sighed impatiently before glaring at her.

Hinata frowned as she tried to understand why he was frustrated with her, when it dawned on her. "Oh!" She said, before chuckling slightly.

"You've already been teaching me, haven't you?"

"Yes." He told her with a long suffering sigh.

Hinata blushed gorgeously as she had thought all along he had only been teasing her.

"Well,…I did spot you… just a moment ago behind me," she spluttered out defending herself.

Glancing over at him she saw the corner of his mouth turn up slightly as if he knew something she didn't. She began to get suspicious, her mouth quirked a little.

"You were behind me for a while, weren't you?"

"Yes." He responded shortly. "You were so intent on what you were doing; you were completely oblivious to your surroundings." He told her.

Guilty, Hinata blushed knowing what he said was absolutely true, especially lately, since she had met him.

"I know. I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Well, you need to stop it. You will get yourself killed." He warned her seriously.

Hinata smiled softly. She couldn't help herself, he was just so sweet.

"You never stop trying to protect me do you?"

Itachi glared at her as he felt very uncomfortable at the look she was giving him.

"Foolish girl." He said gruffly as he took her hand and began pulling her in the house. Hinata's grin grew bigger as she followed him in the house.

oooOOOooo

"More tea, Master?" Hinata offered politely while holding the tea pot.

"No thank you, Hinata." He told her as he looked down at a piece of paper in front of him. "I need to leave soon and prepare for a meeting."

He looked over fondly at both of them and watched as Hinata automatically poured some tea for Itachi.

"We are doing another training this evening, if you would like to attend?"

Hinata blushed, "Well, I don't know…I had problems with the first exercise you had us do." She told him with a self-depreciating laugh.

It still bothered her that she couldn't learn the concept of an immovable mind. She looked over at Itachi and had to admit that she was pretty distracted on the day she tried to learn it.

Master Eichu looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes as he asked her.

"What do you think you did wrong during the exercise?"

Hinata's face turned even redder, "Well…I…"

"You determined in your mind you would fail before you even attempted it." Itachi told her quietly.

Hinata heard his words and understood there was no disappointment or judgment behind them like there was when her father or Neji told her she was doing something wrong. It was as if he was simply telling her what he saw and then just trusted her to correct it.

She closed her eyes for a moment as a sharp tug of loss ran through her mind that she had _finally_ met someone who understood her and he would be leaving her soon.

Behind her Itachi suddenly began to cough and after covering his mouth with his hand he quickly left the room.

Alarmed, Hinata turned toward Master Eichu, her face was pale.

Seeing her face began to crumple the old man got up from the table and put his arms around her.

"You are very brave my dear." He said kindly as he patted her back as she sobbed in his arms.

Hinata sniffled. "I don't feel brave, I am…so scared." She told him in a little voice.

"Shh…" He comforted her softly. "Hinata, you have to be brave for him. I have noticed that underneath that hard and distant exterior of his, is a very selfless young man. I think it upsets him a great deal to see you suffer because of his condition." He told her gently.

The old man's eyes darkened at how early this morning Itachi hid from her the fact that he had been coughing up blood. He had asked him not to tell her, so she wouldn't be worried.

At the truth in his words, Hinata gave a shaky laugh. "Hai master, he is very protective over me." She said achingly with a soft smile.

Breathing out a shuddered sigh, she knew the healer was right. She had to learn to hide her emotions around him. Her lips became firm with determination as she thought how Itachi needed her to be strong for him.

Master Eichu saw the change in her and fondly gave her an approving look.

"Bless you my child. This time you spend together will be your gift to him and will help him find the peace he has been searching for." He told her wisely.

Hinata closed her eyes painfully and tried to bring her emotions under control.

"Thank you master for your advice,… I will do as you say." She told him in a much calmer voice.

The old man hugged her again, he was so proud of her. She was so much like her mother it amazed him.

"If things get too difficult for you my dear, just come see me." He told her quietly as he smiled down sadly at her.

"I will Master, I promise." Hinata told him softly before she turned to wash the dishes.

Master Eichu left the room to go to prepare for his meeting later in the evening.

oooOOOooo

After she was done with the dishes, Hinata found Itachi lying down on his sleeping matt in his cottage. She sighed as he looked so peaceful when he slept; his face was becoming so familiar and dear to her.

Feeling a little daring, she laid down next to him with her head sharing his pillow. A few seconds later his arm came around her and pulled her closer to him before he relaxed next to her.

Itachi breathed in deeply as he felt her presence next to him. He basked in the peaceful feel of her chakra, thinking that there was no one else with chakra as beautiful as hers. It soothed him as it surrounded him before he drifted back off to sleep.

Hinata woke up next to him a few hours later when she felt his lips on the back of her neck and she thought it was possibly the nicest way to be woken up. She sighed at how lovely it felt.

Turning towards him she gave him a sleepy smile.

"Hello." She said shyly as she saw how close his face was to hers.

She began to blush when she saw he was staring at her with calm eyes.

"Itachi, …um…why are you looking at me?" She asked him tentatively feeling a little brave.

Itachi turned away from her with harsh sigh because of his weakness for her.

"It is to remind myself that you are still here."

Hinata's heart lurched in her chest. It was by far the most romantic thing he had ever said to her. Moving closer to him she buried her face in his chest as him arm cradled around her.

"If I had my way…I would never leave you again." She told him softly with a slight catch in her voice.

Closing his eyes as her words touched him; he kissed her head and pulled her closer to him.

_I know Hinata…I know_.

oooOOOooo

Waking up a few hours later, he noticed Hinata was gone but he could smell something wonderful coming from the direction of the main house. Cleaning himself up a little before he went inside he smirked as he hid his chakra signature before he entered the house silently. He wondered how long it would take her to figure out he was there.

After waiting for about five minutes he felt himself becoming bored as hell and a little pissed at her for completely letting her guard down again. Rolling his eyes, he walked straight into the kitchen behind her and waited for her to notice he is there.

A few minutes of watching her work in the kitchen and she was still oblivious of his presence made him want to choke her. Finally she turned around and saw him. At seeing the joy on her face, he decided to cut her some slack and not yell at her for being completely dense.

"Here, try this." She told him as she held out a honey bun close to his mouth. He took a bite and almost closed his eyes at how delicious it tasted.

Hinata laughed. "They are very good huh? Our chef at home taught me secretly how to make them." She told him almost conspiratorially.

Her face darkened slightly as she thought about her father. "I don't get to cook that often because my father does not consider it appropriate for me to be doing menial labor." She said wistfully with a trace of bitterness in her voice.

_What a bastard_. Itachi thought as he stood next to her and watch her work.

"You should just do it anyway, even if your father doesn't like it." He told her firmly, trying to get her to stand up for herself.

Hinata looked back at him shocked as if she never thought to stand up to him. Itachi breathed out in irritation. _She is such a child sometimes_.

"Hinata, you can't let him control you forever. At some point you are going to have to grow up." He told her patiently.

She looked at him and smiled liking how he was trying to help her. She had a feeling no one ever pushed him around when he was a kid.

Looking down at the rice boiling in the pan she knew she _was_ growing up. Being around him, knowing he was dying was making her grow up rapidly. Being afraid of her father almost seemed childish now.

"I am growing up Itachi." She told him soberly as she looked at him.

He looked at her and understood what she meant.

"I know you are." He told her quietly.

Turning away from him, Hinata looked at the food and saw it was done. She really wanted to keep the mood light between them after what Master had told her.

"Dinner is done, would you like me to serve you?" She asked him as she smiled at him.

"No, I will get it myself." He told her as he picked up a plate and began dishing up some food.

Dinner was surprisingly relaxed between them as they talked about simple things they liked. Both of them purposefully stayed away from anything dealing with his illness or their pending separation.

After dinner they decided to go to the Master Eichu's training session.

As they walked up the winding path, Hinata noticed it felt was different than it did when she had been by herself. Having him beside her made the experience so much richer and more meaningful.

After they went through the purifying rituals and put the zori (sandals) on their feet. Hinata looked over at Itachi and was pleased to see for once his face wasn't so wary, he was by no means relaxed looking but he seemed a tiny bit more open.

Kneeling next to him on the tatami mats, Hinata smiled to herself thinking this is where she first met him. She thought of all that had happened since then and realized she was grateful for all of it, pain and all.

"Greetings my friends," Master Eichu said as he looked at everyone in the room.

"I would like to encourage each one of you tonight to remember that time is unique from moment to moment and it is meant to be shared…"

Hinata glanced over at Itachi and they both knew he was speaking to them. A sense of peace came over them as they listened to their friend's teaching.

Finally he closed with these words.

"Each one of our minds and hearts should focus on being in the here and now where reality resides… only then will you obtain the peace and tranquility you need to face life's challenges. Be blessed as you leave this place."

After the tea was passed around the guests mingled for a moment before the group was dismissed.

Hinata looked up and saw the hostess from the first meeting and she was beaming as she stood in front of them.

"Well hello again," the middle-aged hostess said to Hinata as she looked meaningfully at Itachi.

There was a twinkle in her eye as she looked knowingly at both of them.

"I knew you guys liked each other from the very beginning." She said laughing slightly.

Hinata blushed heavily and wanted to sink through the floor in embarrassment. Itachi just glared at the woman.

"Ah…you guys are so cute." The hostess continued obliviously. "You will have the most splendid babies together," she said teasing them.

Hinata went pale and looked down at the ground. Itachi noticed her distress and nodded dismissively to the lady.

"Excuse us." He told her abruptly before steering Hinata out of the room.

"Mae, you shouldn't have said that to them. He is very ill." Master Eichu told her quietly shaking his head.

She put down her head in shame, very sorry that she upset them.

Itachi pulled Hinata with him down toward the beach. Very gently, he put his hands on her face and kissed her deeply. Pretty soon, she forgot that they had no future together and only focused on him. She wrapped her arms even tighter around him.

oooOOOooo

Off in the distance Kiba and Akamaru watched as Hinata walked out of the building down toward the seashore with a dark-haired man. Kiba felt a small stab of jealousy run through him as he saw she was holding hands with him.

Kiba went on top of a hill when he saw them walking along the beach. He was too far away to hear what they were saying but he realized that he didn't need to hear them; their faces when they looked at each other told him what he needed to know. They were in love.

Shocked, he watched his super shy team-mate look up at the guy with her and place her hand on his face before she lifted up her face to receive his kiss. The look on Hinata's face was at first so sad and then so full of love Kiba knew he couldn't report this to Shino. If anyone deserved some happiness it was her. He just hoped nothing bad happened to her.

Quietly sliding down the hill, he looked over at Akamaru.

"Come boy, let's leave her alone." He told his partner as they were leaving.

**Author's note:** I know this is a sad chapter. I apologize for any errors as my internet connection is going down for a while as we change cable providers today. Anyway, remember the story isn't over yet…who knows what may happen still… Please let me know what you think of the chapter. I also plan to update Itachi's Ghost within a few days FYI. Thanks again for all of the wonderful feedback from the last chapter. It was my favorite one so far.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Way of Tea**

**~Chapter 11~**

_(Trust-Shinrai)_

* * *

"_The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all" ~ The Emperor in Mulan_

**

"Close your eyes."

Obediently she closed her eyes, savoring the sound of his voice. Hinata felt him tie a blindfold around her eyes.

Standing behind her, Itachi leaned towards her and whispered. "Reach out with your senses."

She tried.

_All I can notice is you,_ Hinata thought feeling distracted by his nearness to her. Biting back a smile she tried again—and failed.

"Tell me something you notice around you?" She heard Itachi's voice say.

Taking a deep breath, she anxiously tried to focus on something besides him. After a few moments of standing there she felt a slight gust of wind blow across her body.

"Well, I… uh… notice… the wind is coming from the east." She told him weakly, knowing she was beginning to try his patience.

"Yes. What else?" He demanded quietly while shaking his head a little at her pathetic reply.

Sweating slightly, she felt the sun beaming on her and his arm was just touching hers. Unconsciously, she leaned closer to him.

"Well, I feel the sun directly above me," she said frowning slightly as if in thought. "And…I do not feel any shadows or shade over me."

"Better."

At the tiny note of approval in his voice, Hinata smiled softly to herself and immediately felt herself becoming distracted again.

Beside her she heard a distinctly impatient sigh before his chakra presence disappeared completely. Reaching her hand blindly behind her she knew for sure he wasn't standing near her anymore.

Hinata's brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to pull her disordered senses together. She could tell he was getting annoyed with her.

"Quiet your mind, learn to feel and hear everything around you," he reminded her again in a distant sounding voice.

Hinata wanted to activate her Byakugan but he had made it off limits for her to use it during this training exercise. He wanted her to learn rely on more than just her eyes. Leaning her head slightly toward the left, she waited and listened for him as that was the direction she had heard his voice come from.

Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and tried to focus only on what she felt and heard around her. Forcing her mind to become still, she listened to the wind as it rustled through the trees and the water in the small stream as it quietly flowed past her.

Smelling the air she noticed it was unusually fragrant today, like newly cut tea leaves. A hint of jasmine was also intermingled with the scent of tea leaves in the breeze.

"Um, I think they are harvesting tea right now." She observed hesitantly out loud as she took another whiff of the air.

Sitting in a tree about twenty feet behind her, Itachi was relieved she wasn't as dense to the environment around her as he was beginning to think she was.

A shadow fell over her from the right and she smiled as she thought he was near her and she leaned out to touch him and nearly fell over. Blushing profusely she stood up straight and put her hands out in front of her and spun around in a circle.

Itachi was not amused as he rolled his eyes at her almost comical display.

"The shadow you felt on you was from a tree branch." She heard his cool voice say a little wryly from behind her as he took off her blind fold.

Hinata looked down at the ground as the sun was blindingly bright after being blindfolded. After a moment the beautiful garden and house came back into focus around her.

"You are improving." He told her in a neutral voice as she spun around to look at him. However, his eyes told her it was not enough.

Hinata blushed, knowing they both knew she could do better.

"I am trying." She responded a little defensively as she lifted her face toward his and smiled at him.

Itachi pulled her closer to him and rested his forehead against hers.

"Are you?" He asked her quietly.

"Why is it so important to you that I learn this skill?" Hinata asked him beginning to feel slightly frustrated.

Itachi sighed and his eyes looked implacable before he activated his Sharingan and looked into her eyes. He knew some things could only be learned by walking through them.

Hinata's eyes grew wide and a little fearful as she looked into his red eyes just before she felt herself trapped completely in darkness. The world of darkness he had put her in was so deep and terrifying it literally was painful.

"People like us depend upon our eyes for most of our jutsu." She heard Itachi's voice in her head tell her. "But… what if your Byakugan is taken away from you?"

In the darkness, she clung to his voice like a lifeline as she recycled his question to her in her mind and tried to keep the fear she was feeling under control.

_What would I do?_ She asked herself.

_Depend upon my team-mates. _Her mind answered automatically.

_What if they weren't around to help?_ His voice asked her.

_What would I do then?_ She wondered and knew she would be nearly helpless as she used her Byakugan for all of her jutsu attacks. Suddenly her vulnerabilities were becoming stunningly clear to her.

Hinata forced herself to be calm as her breath began to come out in panicky breaths. Spinning herself around, she realized she could not even see a pinprick of light; the darkness around her was so penetrating it made her feel like she was suffocating.

"Don't try to use your eyes, focus only on the things around you." Itachi's calm voice instructed her.

Breathing out raggedly, Hinata closed her eyes and felt herself in her mind go back near the ocean again. It was yesterday and she could see herself and Itachi after they had left the meeting.

In her mind she could feel all of the same emotions she had felt yesterday, swirling around in her mind, controlling her and blocking her ability to notice anything else around her.

Her hand unconsciously touched her mouth and could feel his lips on hers when he had kissed her yesterday, and her mind was becoming increasingly hazy and unfocused. Hinata could feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into utter darkness.

Suddenly, in the deepest recesses of her mind, some stray sense of self preservation rose up within her and broke through the haze. It was Kurenai's firm voice reminding her to not let down her guard or it could cost her, her life or the lives of her team-mates. Her sensei's voice told her to focus or else.

_Ah, thank you sensei. _She thought gratefully.

Purposely blocking out her emotions, she listened closely and could hear the ocean roaring in her ears and smell the salty air around them.

Hinata's eyes opened wide as she heard in the distance a dog bark. A small gasp escaped her when she realized it wasn't just any dog barking, it was Akamaru.

Suddenly she knew what Itachi was trying to tell her.

"My team-mates were watching us by the ocean yesterday, weren't they?" She asked him as her eyes took in the darkness that was becoming brighter by the minute as a small beam of light penetrated her mind. Piercing the darkness.

Hinata sighed deeply in disappointment, "I didn't even notice them."

"Yes, the Inuzuka and his dog watched us for awhile before they left." His voice told her before he released the genjutsu over her.

His arms went around her as she swayed and put her hands over her eyes as they began to slowly adjust to the bright light of the sun. Itachi pulled her in close to him with his hands resting almost casually on her lower back.

After Hinata got her bearings again she looked up at him with troubled and slightly confused eyes. "It's not like Kiba to just leave, I wonder why he didn't just confront me?"

"Perhaps he is deciding to leave you alone." Itachi murmured against her hair. He certainly hoped so; he didn't want to end up having to fight either of her team-mates.

Hinata nodded, but still thought that seemed unusual for him. Kiba was the type of person who barged in and took action and then thought about it later.

Snuggling her face into his chest, she sighed against him a little restlessly.

"Possibly, but my team-mates are very protective of me…they always have been."

"I'm not surprised." Itachi told her bluntly as he looked down at her with glinting light in his eyes.

Hinata looked up at him and a smile tugged at her lips as she saw from the look on his face he was teasing her.

"You are even more protective of me then they are." She accused him as she thought about the method he just used to get through to her. Painful and scary as it was, she had to admit it was also extremely effective.

"Look at the method you just resorted to using in order to get through to me. I mean, it was pretty brutal." She chided him quietly as she looked up at him.

"It worked didn't it?" He defended himself with cool composure.

"Yes." Hinata admitted and looked at him gravely as she knew this was a lesson he felt strongly she needed to learn.

"Arigato, Itachi." She told him softly, knowing her was just trying to keep her safe.

Itachi put his hands on the side of her face and looked down at her solemnly. "You're welcome."

Hinata swallowed as she looked at him a little ruefully as she admitted to him.

"I'm not usually so flighty, it's just, well…I've never been…in love before."

Feeling vulnerable and a little relieved at finally admitting her feelings to him Hinata searched his face and suppressed the urge to look away from.

Itachi's eyes were warm and a little possessive as he looked down at her.

Elation began to rush through her as she watched him slowly lower his face towards hers.

"Neither have I…until I met you." He told her solemnly as his mouth hovered just above hers, his dark eyes looked straight into hers.

At his words and the look in his eyes Hinata went completely still as she assimilated the unthinkable.

_He loves me._

"Oh Itachi," she choked out before his arms hauled her tightly against him and his mouth covered hers. As she kissed him back, bittersweet tears of joy and pain coursed down her face.

oooOOOOooo

Out in his office, Master Eichu watched the scene unfold in front him with a mixture of intense happiness and sorrow. He sighed as he knew life sometimes was not fair.

Not at all, if it was, his wife would still be here with him and those two young people in front of him would get their chance to be happy.

His eyes looked toward the heavens as he prayed for the two of them and asked for a miracle. Smiling grimly to himself he concluded in this situation more than one miracle was required, so to be on the safe side, he asked for two.

Glancing out the window, he noticed the lovers had finally come up for air and went inside the house. After looking at his watch, he gathered up his things and headed toward the house.

As he opened the door to the house a tantalizing aroma assailed his nostrils.

_Oh good, cinnamon rolls._

As he walked around the corner into the kitchen he saw Itachi was seated at the table drinking tea and Hinata was pulling hot cinnamon rolls out of the oven.

"Good morning Master." She greeted him in a cheerful voice.

As she turned to look at him, his eyes grew misty as he noticed she was practically glowing with happiness.

And Itachi, well he looked as he always did, but he did catch a slight glimmer of something in his eyes as he watched Hinata.

With a knowing glint in his eyes he set Itachi's medicine down on the table.

"Here is your medicine; I want you to take two doses today until you leave." He told him and watched as Itachi automatically began to take them.

"Arigato Master, the medicine seems to be helping me." Itachi told him impassively but his eyes continually rested on Hinata as she had her back to them and was working in the kitchen. It almost seemed to the old man, Itachi needed to constantly remind himself that she was still with him.

As she turned to look at them her face wasn't glowing anymore, it was almost a bit resigned and the smile she gave them was only a shadow of the former one.

Master Eichu looked at both of them slightly apologetically for bringing them both back to reality. Hoping to cheer them up, he decided to share his news with them.

"Today is the beginning of our Harvest Festival; it goes on for the rest of the week." He told them as he went to the cupboard and brought out a couple of decorative tea cups with straps around them that were to hang around their necks. (The straps were used to carry the small cups when they weren't being used.)

Instead of looking cheerful, they both looked slightly alarmed as they knew it would be a lot more difficult to find the pirates amidst all of the tourists that were sure to flock the area.

Hinata immediately went outside and began climbing up the hill to scan the harbor. Itachi soon followed her; his face was a little grave as he watched her look out in the distance with her Byakugan.

After she searched all around the harbor as far out into the distance as she could, she breathed out in relief.

"There are more ships than normal in the harbor, but I don't see anything that even remotely looks like a pirate ship out there." She reported to him.

"Good, just keep watch over it more than usual." He advised her as he reached for her hand.

Hinata's face was a little grave as she nodded to him and placed her hand in his.

As they walked down the hill, Hinata's eyes looked over the town that was already beginning to sparkle with life and she began to want to be a part of it.

"Do you want to go walk around later, I really want to taste all of the different blends of tea." She asked him a little hesitantly, unsure if he was up to going.

"We can go later in the afternoon; I need to rest some after breakfast." He told her as they began to walk down the path towards the house.

Hinata looked at him with slightly concerned eyes and saw he seemed to be doing alright with his breathing and his color looked decent today. She determined he was just being cautious.

As they walked into the house, they saw Master Eichu was preparing to leave.

"I didn't see any sign of them in the harbor, Master." Hinata reported to him.

"Good, we have increased our security throughout the town and around the harbor; I will notify you and your team-mates if our security comes across anyone who looks suspicious." He told her in a slightly rushed voice as he had a meeting to attend to in town.

"I will see both of you later, be sure to go enjoy the festival and sample all of the tea." He reminded them before he left the house.

Hinata shared a small glance with Itachi, noting that he seemed to be fond of the old man as well.

Turning back toward the stove she turned off the burner and with a moue of distaste on her mouth she dished up a small bowl of natto for both of them.

As she set the bowls on the table she smiled at him before handing him another cinnamon roll and pouring them each another cup of tea.

"I'm only doing this for you, you know." She reminded him with a small laugh before choking down a couple of bites of the nasty fermented soybeans.

"I know." He told her before lifting his spoon towards his mouth.

Almost simultaneously they both swallowed the beans and reached over and drained their cups of tea. As she reached for her cinnamon roll, she looked at him saw he was watching her with almost an amused look on his face.

Her heart turned over in her chest as she stared back at him and began to for once, feel slightly uncomfortable being all alone with him.

She tried to put the strange feeling of intimacy that had settled around them out of her mind as she turned away from him and began to nibble on her cinnamon roll.

"Am I making you nervous?" She heard Itachi's voice ask her suddenly and she startled a tiny bit before she looked up into his calm black eyes.

"A little." She admitted to him and her face grew warm as she knew she was being foolish.

"Don't be." He told her with an implacable look on his face. "I won't let anything else happen between us."

"I know." She told him blushing a little, knowing that he had absolute control over himself and his emotions.

However, she wished she could say the same thing about herself. Her emotions and body were going completely haywire and something in her wanted something more to happen between them, very badly in fact.

Beside her, Itachi stood up and began putting his dishes in the sink. As he turned around his eyes told her she could come rest with him if she wanted to.

A helpless smile formed on her face as she stood up and put her dishes in the sink. As she followed him out to the guest house, she realized would take whatever he gave her and be grateful for it.

Because to her, every moment with him was precious…

**Author's Note:** To all of you still reading this story, I haven't forgotten about it at all. I was just having a hard time writing all of my stories at once and had to put it on hold for a while. Anyway, this chapter entered my head and I just needed to write it down. This story is close to be completed and I hope to finish it soon. Please leave me feedback and let me know if you are still interested…Arigato:]

**Not So Subtle Differences** **alert**: I am working on an update and plan to post a chapter this weekend, probably some time on Saturday. Be warned it will contain crack, I couldn't contain myself.

**Manga spoiler alert**: Oh my, wtf. I don't know what to think. I am fangirl enough to want Itachi to appear in the manga in any form, but to see him zombified. IDK (shaking my head in helpless disbelief). Also, I thought Deidara blew himself up, so how can his body be used in Kabuto/Orochimaru's jutsu? I thought it required the remains of a body in order to activate it? (AN: Thanks Phoenix for answering this question for me lol, apparently the dead person's body is not necessary for the jutsu to be performed.) Anyway, I am curious and slightly sickened to see what Kishimoto will come up with next. As always, feel free to PM me with your thoughts, I always find them amusing…


	12. Chapter 12

**The Way of Tea**

**~Chapter 12~**

**_(Memories – Kioku)_**

* * *

The sun as it was descending behind the hills told her the day was almost over. As she stood beside him at the tea booth, she watched as he tasted the freshly brewed tea. The slight down turn of his lips told her he didn't like it.

He handed the cup to her like he had several other times today and she took a drink and covered her mouth with her hand.

It reminded her of hemlock.

"Uhg, that was awful." Hinata told him after she choked it down and looked up at him with laughing eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the teasing response in his eyes and she desperately wanted to capture the moment—so she wouldn't forget any of it.

That way he teased her or the way he smiled at her sometimes.

The gentle touch of his hand against her skin…they were all memories and soon they would be all that she had left of him.

As she looked at the tiny rays of sunlight as they became blocked out by the hills behind him and bit her lip as she wanted to scream out and rage against fate or life or whatever force was taking him away from her.

_Itachi, please don't leave me_.

Hinata closed her eyes for a moment and forced a light smile on her face as she said the first thing that came into head, "Um, I think we share the same taste buds."

Itachi watched her closely and though he couldn't see her face well, he could sense she was struggling. It was times like these that made him regret giving into her and letting her get close to him.

At his side his hand clenched painfully as he thought of how he should have been stronger and kept his distance from her from the very beginning.

He had been weak and had selfishly wanted the comfort she could give him, the sense of peace he felt when he was with her. The sound of her voice and the feel of her touch—he had wanted all of those things. And now she was the one paying a price.

_I'm sorry Hinata, _he thought as his eyes lingered over her next to him_._

He breathed out and forced his tone to be neutral as he looked at her. "Hai, you are probably right."

Itachi placed his hand around hers. "Let's go get some dango."

Hinata's eyes looked at their hands joined together before searching his face carefully.

_I'm sorry Itachi, I'm really trying_. Her eyes told him.

Without speaking, Itachi turned away from her began weaving his way through the crowd towards the dango booth. With his hand still linked to hers he pulled her along with him.

As she walked behind him she began to feel overwhelmed by all of the noise and the people around them and longed to have him somewhere it was quiet and they could be alone.

Her eyes stayed on him as he bought few sticks of dango for each of them. They looked around and when they couldn't find anywhere to sit they opted to lean up against a wall that was mercifully free of people.

Hinata took a bite of the lightly sweetened Chichi dango and even though it was one of her favorites, it might as well have been sawdust for all she could taste of it.

Glancing over at him she saw he was watching her with a solemn look on his face.

Her eyes opened wide when she watched him calmly take the dango stick from her hand and set it down on a table next to them.

"Itachi..?" She gasped out as he pulled her on the side of the building and pressed her against the wall. Pain and anguish tore through her as she reached up and pulled him toward her.

"Look at me, Hinata." Itachi told her as he placed his hands around her face and stared down at her. "I tried to warn you how it would be between us."

Unable to speak, she could only nod as tears began to slide down her face, she looked up into his beautiful and solemn face and tried to figure out how she was going to go on with the rest of her life without him.

Wiping away her tears with his thumbs, "Hinata, I am a criminal and a member of Akatsuki," he reminded her quietly. "Even if I wasn't dying, it would still have to end between us."

Hearing those words spoken out loud to her caused a profound sense of loss to rip through her, she closed her eyes in pain and buried her face in his chest.

"I-I've always known that," She whispered with a sigh and clung to him tighter. "But, it doesn't make it hurt any less."

Itachi's eyes were troubled and he felt hollow inside as he stared out into the gradually darkening sky. As he held her he could feel her shudder as she attempted to hold back the tears.

He could also feel her inner strength and knew like a willow tree she would bend but ultimately not break. She would survive because it wasn't within her to just give up, she was a fighter and as he found out when he had tried to push her away from him, she was also stubborn as hell.

He decided to not allow the painful reality of their situation to come between them anymore this evening. For her, he would give her the gift of illusion a little bit longer.

It was the only thing he had left to give her.

"You still have a few hours left before you have to go on watch…" Itachi told her as he forced himself to relax against her and smile slowly down at her.

Hinata looked up at him and felt herself become breathless at the look on his face and at the attempt he was making to keep things light between them. She had thought for sure he was going to push her away from him for her own good after she had broken down in front of him.

Instead of pushing her away he was giving her more time with him.

_Oh Itachi._

A soft smile formed on her face as she reached up and placed her hands alongside his face and began pulling him towards her. "You're right…well, what do you want to do first?" Hinata asked him with a teasing light in her eyes as she already knew the answer.

"I'm sure we can figure out something," He responded in a wry tone before closing the gap between their mouths and burying his lips in hers.

oooOOOooo

Stepping out of the dressing room, Hinata stopped in front of him, happy, nervous, self-conscious and was trying desperately to seem normal.

And even though she knew he couldn't see her all that well she spun around slowly for him anyway.

"Do you like it?" Itachi asked her as he sat back in a chair and watched her with a relaxed smile on his face. He enjoyed how when he was with her, she made him feel normal and his life as an Akatsuki member seemed far away.

He watched as she turned around and began in a flustered manner smoothing down the tangles in her hair as she stood before a large mirror. A blush crept over her face as she thought of how her hair became so tangled. Whenever Itachi kissed her his hands always ended up threaded in her long silky hair.

She looked at herself critically and thought even with mussed hair, the lavender, silk kimono with it's lovely and intricate silver patterns on the border and on the wide sleeves made her feel like she was actually pretty for once.

Her eyes grew sad as she desperately wished he could see her wearing it—at least once.

Turning around slowly her eyes opened wide, when she saw he had activated his Sharingan and was watching her closely. Warmth spread through her when she realized he _could_ see her and the look on his face told her he thought she was beautiful.

His eyes lingered over her as though he was memorizing all of her.

"You can see me now?" She asked him softly and tried not to think of the way her heart was hammering in her chest.

"Yes," He responded a little sadly before changing his eyes back to blue to keep up his disguise. He wished he could see her like that all the time.

"I think you should get it." He told her as he stood up and came up behind her, his hands gently pulled her long indigo-colored hair over her shoulders so it hung straight down her back.

Hinata frowned a little as she thought about the exorbitant price tag on the kimono; she didn't want to make him buy something for her he couldn't afford.

"A-are you sure, it is very expensive…" She began hesitantly.

The worried look on her face kept him from rolling his eyes as he thought of his massive bank account. He hardly ever spent any money and he had made a lot of it on all of the missions he had done over the years. He planned to leave all of it to Sasuke, not that he probably needed it either, but he was going to give it to him anyway.

"I can afford it; I want you to have it." He stated firmly.

Her eyes were shining as she looked at him, "Um, okay." Hinata told him as she went to take it off and take it up to the register so he could buy it.

"Leave it on," He told her as he went up to the salesperson at the front of the store to pay for it.

A small laugh tumbled out of her as she pulled off the price tag and wondered where he was going to take her next…

oooOOOooo

Walking back to her hotel in the early morning light, Hinata felt like she was walking on a cloud as she thought of the evening she spent with him.

After buying the kimono, they walked around the festival for a while longer before they came across music playing in the park. She was surprised when he pulled her out on the dance floor and into his arms.

Hinata's eyes grew soft as she thought of how the night seemed to have a magical, un-real feeling to it. The way Itachi's eyes lingered over her while they danced together and the way he held her against him. She knew he did that because as he told her before, he was reminding himself she was still there with him.

In the early morning dampness, she shivered and rubbed her arms with her hands. Last night while she was keeping watch, she left her new kimono at Master Eichu's house so it wouldn't get dirty while she was keeping watch over the harbor. She decided to go get it later when she came back.

Itachi stayed with her last night as she watched over the harbor and as though they both knew time was getting short for the two of them, they couldn't resist stealing a few kisses even though she was technically on duty.

A puzzled look came over her face as she thought of how there was still no sign of the pirate ship in the harbor, she thought by now they would have been here. Not to mention, she would have thought the festival and all of the money in the area would have been a lure that was irresistible to criminals as greedy as pirates.

Her nostrils twitched as she picked up the scent of something foul and her eyes opened wide when she saw she was surrounded by a large group of huge and very dirty looking men.

"Well, well…what do we have here?" She heard a sinister voice ask from behind her.

Spinning around Hinata looked and saw, dressed in normal civilian clothing was a man with long blond hair.

_Hanzo's son, the pirate_. Her mind immediately figured out.

Having no choice she had to remove her disguise of being a regular civilian and activated her Byakugan.

As they closed in on her she began attacking and within moments had several of them disabled and unconscious on the ground. Just when she thought she was going to break free of them, she felt something struck her from above as she noticed it too late…and then everything went black.

"It looks like we found a very valuable prize indeed," Hanzo Hattori said as he looked at her face and saw her forehead was unmarked. "Ha ha, the Byakugan, today is my lucky day…."

**Author's Note:** I am sorry to leave you guys this huge cliffie. I plan to work solely on this fic until I finish it. I hope to be done with hit within a few weeks and then start working on Itachi's Ghost. Please let me know if you are still reading this one, if I hear from enough of you, I will post the next chapter faster…

Special thanks to Let's Play Funeral for being so kind and continually plugging my stories. You are awesome and your fic (The Nighten Gale's Story) is great. Thanks so much!

**Manga Chapter Spoiler Alert**: Yawn...I know Naruto learning to control the Kyuubi is a large part of the whole story line and essential to his growth but I have to admit this shiz is boring the crap out of me, especially the stuff with evil Naruto. It just sucks, I cannot wait until Kishimoto moves on, I am dying to see what is going on with Sasuke, Madara and Kabuto.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Way of Tea**

**~Chapter 13~**

Awaking alone in darkness, Hinata lay still with her eyes closed and made a mental assessment of the condition of her body and noted that other than a bump on her head and a splitting headache, she was relatively unharmed.

She wished she could say the same for her aching heart and mind. Guilt and worry splintered in tiny fractures through her knowing that her team-mates and the mission were now at risk because of her. Even now, she was sure they were probably frantically trying to find her.

Hinata took a shattered breath and allowed her mind to dredge up the one name that was the verge of breaking her more than anything else.

_Itachi._

He had warned her over and over to stay focused and not let her guard down. She knew that if she had only listened to him and been more alert and had her Byakugan activated they would not have been able to catch her off-guard.

_I'm sorry Itachi_, she thought with a shaky sigh and wished he was here even if it was just to say, "I told you so," in that unemotional and superior tone of his.

Closing her eyes tightly in anguish, she knew in a moment of sickening clarity, her being captured had precipitated the end of them.

Their idyllic time together… time that was so infinitely precious to her, so wonderful, was now over.

It had been cut off all too soon… and she had nobody else to blame but herself.

After today, only her memories of him would remain with her. While the rest of the world considered him to be a criminal and an evil ninja, she knew otherwise, the caring, overly-protective, man hidden deep within him. After he was dead, while many would celebrate his passing, she would be among the few who would mourn him.

Hot tears began to burn behind her eyes at the thought of losing him, but strangely in a small way, the fact that she had been given this gift of loving him and would be one of the few people who knew the real him, comforted her and gave her strength. It wasn't much in the face of such a devastating loss, but it was something.

Simply, because it was her way and her mother's way – the true meaning behind the way of the tea.

In the deep recesses of her mind she could still hear her mother's serene voice as she reminded her, "Carry your loved ones deep within your heart, dear one, and they will never leave you."

Hinata choked back tears as it felt like her mother was with her and comforting her from beyond the grave.

"You've never left me mother, I will do the same with him." She mentally whispered in her spirit to her mother. "I will never let go of him, he will always be with me."

In the darkness, the sound of a blade being sharpened against a whetstone through the door jolted her, reminding her sharply of the dire situation she was in. The scraping sound was terrifying ...back and forth it went, making the hair on her neck rise in fear.

Fear made her mind clear; it began to claw at her psyche making her desperate to escape.

Trying to find a way out, Hinata activated her Byakugan and felt blinding pain rip through her eyes and her head, forcing her reluctantly to deactivate it.

Her breath began to come out in gasps as she felt so alone almost powerless, now that her inherent and strongest ability and the source of most of her jutsu was useless to her.

_What if you cannot rely upon your Byakugan or your team-mates… _Itachi's voice in her head reminded her breaking through her temporary mental paralysis.

Forcing back the fear and all thoughts of her situation and the sound of the knife being scraped on the whetstone in the background, Hinata began to use her other senses to learn all that she could about her situation.

In a manner of moments her mind became quiet and she purposely cut out the sound of the scraping knife and could feel there were ropes binding her hands and feet together.

Sniffing the air she couldn't smell the fragrance of tea leaves making her think they were not close to the town or near the fields of tea. While she had been in town, the smell of newly cut tea and sea-air mixed together was unavoidable. They had to be away from town, maybe even on the other side of the hills.

Hinata forced herself to be still and focused on the feel of the boat underneath her. After a few moments she could feel the waves as they lapped up against the boat and feeling no forward motion, she determined it must still be anchored near the shore.

The knowledge began to give her hope that her team-mates would be able to find her and capture the pirates.

_Oh Kami, please don't let them start sailing_, she prayed knowing that once they were in the open seas her chances of being saved were dim.

Her eyes opened wide when she heard a small noise that filled her heart with dread and worry.

On the other side of the wall, she heard the unmistakable sound of children talking. Apparently she wasn't the only one who was captured.

Forcing herself to use her Byakugan she saw there were about five small children in the room next to hers. Above the other noises around her she could hear a few of them were crying…

oooOOOooo

Itachi woke up and sniffed the air and a frown crossed his face when he couldn't smell the fragrance of cinnamon buns coming from the main house through the open window. Flinging back the covers he hurried out of bed and began to get dressed.

Since he had been staying here, without fail, Hinata always came over and prepared breakfast for them before he woke up, even though she stayed up late watching the harbor at night. She was very dutiful like that and he knew she would not let herself sleep in when they had so little time left together.

His chakra flared as he reached out and tried to sense her presence in the main house and his eyes became troubled as he looked out near the gate and saw her team-mates coming through it along with the Inuzuka's big white dog.

oooOOOooo

"Akamaru, wait up!" Kiba yelled out as he watched his dog sail over the gate of the elder's house where Hinata had been hanging out the past few days.

Kiba shared a worried look with Shino before they opened the gate and followed Akamaru.

Heading toward the front door they were surprised when Hinata's dark-haired friend appeared out of nowhere before them.

"What have you done with her, you bastard?" Kiba asked him accusingly as he glared at him. Beside him, Akamaru began to growl menacingly.

Itachi paled before his chakra began to flare out with dangerous spikes. "She left early this morning."

Kiba looked at him skeptically as anger and worry began to build up in him. _If Hinata was not here with him, then where the hell is she?_

"She never came back to the hotel." Shino responded tightly as his eyes narrowed behind his glasses. "We thought she might be with you."

"Use your nose and find her, Inuzuka." Itachi told him, his deadly cold killer intent began to flood the area, causing the ninja's from Konoha to wonder who the hell this guy was and how did he know about Kiba's ability. After sharing a nervous look with each other they took a few steps back from him. The guy in front of them was obviously not your average ninja.

_What was Hinata doing with someone scary like him? _Kiba wondered in shock and took a threatening step forward as he pulled out a kunai knife and growled_, _"Who are you?"

Standing next to him, Shino sighed impatiently as he felt Kiba was wasting time and using his emotions instead of his judgment, "Patience, Kiba."

After feeling the massive spike of chakra, Master Eichu came running out of the house and stood in front of Itachi.

"What is going on?" He asked the Konoha ninja's in front of him.

"Our team-mate is missing, Master Eichu," Shino explained with cool efficiency as he stepped forward after recognizing the man as one of the elders of the village. "We thought one of you might know where she is."

"Oh dear, Hinata." The old man said weakly as he turned and sent a worried look in Itachi's direction to see how he was handling the news. The cold deadly spike of chakra raging behind told him Itachi wasn't handling it well and was furious and probably sick with worry.

He knew how protective Itachi was over Hinata. And judging by the look in Itachi's eyes, the old healer also knew whoever responsible for her disappearance was going to die…painfully.

"I can vouch for him; he is a ninja from the Waterfall village and has also been hired by us to capture the pirates." Master Eichu said firmly in his defense.

Kiba, Shino and Akamaru stared at Itachi for a long time before they nodded and accepted the old man's words.

"Dammit, I thought she would be here!" Kiba yelled out in frustration.

"You are wasting time," Itachi reminded him with hard eyes.

Knowing he was right, Kiba and Akamaru began sniffing the air and soon Akamaru picked up her scent and showed Kiba the direction. "Are you sure boy?"

"Woof." His partner replied with an anxious bark. Kiba sniffed in that direction and confirmed it.

"Master Eichu, Akamaru and I picked up her scent in that direction; do you know what is over there?" Kiba asked him as he pointed over the mountains.

The old man thought for a moment before responding, "Yes, there is a small port that is only used in emergencies."

"Come on Shino, let's go!" Kiba yelled beginning to run as Akamaru began to follow him.

"Kiba wait." Shino told him as he looked at the old man. "This may be a diversion or may not be related to the mission; one of us should stay here and keep watch over the harbor."

"Fine, Akamaru and I will find her and bring her back." Kiba told him sharply as he was growing more worried by the second.

"I am coming with you." Itachi told him with a cold resolute look on his face that dared him to try to stop him.

"Wait a minute, I thought you were sick." Kiba balked with a frown thinking the guy was going to slow him down.

"Oh, don't worry about him - he will be able to keep up with you," Master Eichu said almost wryly knowing that Itachi could be on his deathbed and would still go after her. "Do not interfere with him, young Inuzuka; Hanzo's son belongs to him." He warned Kiba before turning to Shino, "I will go speak to the elders and send forth reinforcements into all of the harbors."

Shino nodded and took off toward the harbor.

Kiba glanced over at the pale ninja next to him and shrugged before beginning to run and jump over the fence. He was shocked when the dark-haired ninja disappeared and reappeared already halfway down the block.

_Damn, this guy is fast_, he thought and began to realize he and Akamaru were probably going to have trouble keeping up with him.

"Come on Akamaru, let's go find Hinata."

"Woof."

oooOOOooo

Hinata had found a sharp jagged edge coming up through the floorboard and was desperately sawing through the ropes when finally the rope snapped and her hands were free. Still unable to see them, she could feel the blood on her wrists and her arms were numb from lack of circulation, but at least she was now free and could try to save the children.

She tried to activate her Byakugan and found it didn't hurt as much as before, it was only a dull pain through her head now. Looking around she saw the boat was filled with men, about thirty of them and one of them was just outside her door sharpening blades on a whetstone.

In the room next to her she could see the five small children were still in there. A worried frown formed on her face as she applied chakra to her hands and used it to cut the rope around her ankles.

Using her Byakugan she watched the man outside her door and waited for a chance to disable him. Moving slowly toward the door she tested it and saw it was unlocked. After stepping out of her room, she saw the man had his back turned away from her and making her move, she quickly knocked him out with a gentle fist blow to the head and neck. She watched as he slid to the floor out cold.

Quickly running to the door next to her she opened it and her heart melted at the sight of five darling little children huddled in fear in the corner.

"Don't worry; I am here to get you out." She told them with a soft reassuring smile as she coaxed them toward the door. "Now come with me and I will take you back to your parents."

She startled when she heard a rough voice yell down the stairs and stood frozen in fear.

"Hey Genji, you lazy-ass! I don't hear you working, are you taking a break again?"

Hinata hurried inside with the children when she heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. She mentally groaned when she remembered she had left the door to the room had been in wide open.

It wouldn't be long before they realized she had escaped and was no longer in her room. She had no choice but to disable the man before he could sound the alarm and everyone would be looking for her.

Holding her finger against her mouth, silently telling the children to not make any noise, she opened the door and saw a man outside the looking down at the one she had disabled on the floor.

"So our valuable little bird is trying to fly away." He told her with a leer as his bloodshot eyes raked over her trim figure. "Now be a good little ninja and get back in your cage before I tell the boss."

Before he knew what hit him, Hinata was a blur of chakra and gentle fists and he was laid out cold on the floor just like his friend was.

Turning around quickly, Hinata ushered the children out with an urgent whisper and they began to follow her out of the room. She was just about to climb up the step and fight her way out when she activated her Byakugan and saw several men were about to come downstairs…

oooOOOooo

Out of breath Kiba followed quickly behind the other ninja, only occasionally guiding him when he began to veer in the wrong direction. For a sick guy, Kiba thought he moved at an insane speed.

As they were getting closer, Kiba ventured out to say something that had been bothering him since he first saw him.

"You know…you kind of remind me of someone I know. He's a stuck up jerk named Sasuke who left the village a few years ago. You look like you could almost be his brother…except for the blue eyes of course." Kiba told him with a perplexed look on his face.

Itachi did not answer him, but moved even faster.

"Are we almost there?" He asked the Inuzuka in a coolly dismissive voice.

Kiba sniffed the air and Hinata's scent was getting stronger along with the smell of the ocean. "Yeah, we are getting closer."

Kiba shared a glance with Akamaru as he followed behind the ninja who was now going even faster. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Again silence from the other ninja, Kiba began to get frustrated. "You don't talk much do you?"

Itachi just gave him a cold, irritated glance that pretty much told him to shut up.

Of course, Kiba being Kiba, he refused to comply with his wishes.

"I don't know what she sees in you. _Man_, I swear she has the worst taste in men – first Naruto, now you." Kiba complained to Itachi's back. "I saw the two of you together on the beach the other day… and I have never seen her look at anyone the way she does you…" Kiba told him before sighing gruffly, "I hope you realize how lucky you are, you jerk."

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment as he knew what Hinata's team-mate said was true.

Hinata did love him, maybe too much. Every glance, smile and touch from her told him that she did. He also knew today would be the last day he ever saw her again.

Self loathing began to flood through him like acid at the thought of her experiencing pain because of him. He castigated himself again for about the hundredth time for allowing her to get involved with him. Hinata deserved better, he had nothing he could offer her, except for pain and loneliness.

It would have been better for her to never have met him.

Yet as angry as he was at himself, he couldn't bring himself to go as far as actually regretting having met her. Knowing her and loving her were among some of the best days of his life. Whatever small amount of joy he gave to her, she gave back a hundred-fold to him.

Her love for him, especially after she knew who he was, was immeasurably priceless to him. Something he could never repay her…

Stopping on the edge of a cliff, Itachi could see the ship anchored just off of the shore. His eyes narrowed as he looked at it and sensed her presence on board.

"Do not get in my way." He warned Kiba before he jumped off the cliff and began running over the water toward the ship.

"Whatever. Come on Akamaru, let's go get Hinata." Kiba yelled over his shoulder to his partner just before he jumped off of the cliff.

"Woof." Akamaru barked anxiously and followed him.

oooOOOooo

Huddled behind some crates along with the children, Hinata activated her Byakugan and knew they were coming for her. She jumped out prepared to fight and saw one of the men had a kunai knife aimed at one of the children.

"Come with us or the child dies." The man told her with a dangerous look in his eyes telling her he would do it.

Knowing she had no other choice but to obey him, Hinata nodded and followed Hanzo's son up the wooden ladder.

"Your team-mates have arrived; we will not give you up without a fight." The blonde-haired ninja told her with a smirk on his face. "You are far too valuable to just let go."

Feeling creeped out by the guy, Hinata took a step away from him. "You should release me and the children…otherwise you will all die." Hinata warned him and gasped when he slid with deadly silence behind her holding a kunai knife at her throat.

"If I die, I am taking you along with me…now move." Hanzo's son told her in a blood chilling voice as he jabbed the knife against her throat.

As Hinata climbed up the ladder she could feel the droplets of blood pool against her skin on her neck. As she stepped up into the sunlight, she lowered her head and felt like the failure her father always told her she was.

Bile rose in her throat at having Itachi see her as a failure. She didn't want his or Kiba's life be put in danger because of her. Her eyes flashed as she activated her Byakugan and forced all of her chakra into her palm. Spinning around in a flash she laid it on the blonde man's chest and felt his heart explode beneath it. Stunned at how much chakra she had used against him, she stepped away from him as he dropped to the deck, his lifeless eyes were wide open in shock.

_I killed him_. Hinata thought feeling a little dazed as all of the blood rushed to her head. An explosion happened behind her and she felt two strong arms go around her.

"Hinata." Itachi said softly before he pulled her out of the way just before several kunai knives landed in the spot where she was last standing.

Pale and trembling and feeling like she was going to be sick, Hinata looked up at him and touched his face. "You came for me?"

"Of course." Itachi told her and turned around and threw a kunai hitting a pirate in his throat. Hinata watched as blood began to pour from the wound before the man fell to the ground.

Her eyes fell to the blonde man she killed and a tear slipped down her face. "Oh, Itachi." She cried as she hid her face in his chest. "I killed him."

Itachi held her and smoothed her hair down and thought she was the only ninja he knew who was as soft-hearted as she was. He could tell by looking at the man he would have killed her without even thinking about it, if it meant saving his life. The man was a greedy, ruthless killer.

"You saved me the trouble of doing it, I was sent here to eliminate him." Itachi told her calmly.

In a strange way, knowing that she had saved him from having to kill one more person did make her feel better about it. Even though she detested killing anyone, she was glad to be the one to have done it; Itachi had killed enough in his life.

Sounds of shouts and men running around in chaos broke them up as Kiba and Akamaru began attacking the men on the ship in tandem with their typical loud and random style. Splintering wood and crashes and the sound splashes as men jumped off the ship into the water abounded all around them. In other words, all hell was breaking loose on board.

As Itachi turned with a hard face to go take care of the rest of the men, Hinata laid a hand on his arm and looked up at him with troubled eyes as she pleaded with him. "Please don't kill them…I don't want you to k-kill anyone…for me."

Itachi stared at her for a moment and the thought passed through his mind that she knew him so well…understanding just how much he hated to kill.

"Fine, I will not kill them." He told her and immediately began to incapacitate the rest of the pirates on the ship. Hinata watched in awe at his amazing speed and efficiency as he didn't even bother to activate his Sharingan.

It struck her hard once again that it was unfair that someone so incredible and powerful and so perfect for her in every way…was going to die.

Feeling desperately close to losing her composure completely, Hinata headed back into the darkness to find the children below the deck. Needing to see they were okay and to be busy doing something – anything to put off the moment when she had to say good bye to him.

Hinata found them still behind the crates shaking in fear and opened her arms wide as they all ran out to her at once. "It's alright, you are safe now," She crooned softly, "My team-mate and I will take you back to your parents."

Gathering them all up in a single file she had them follow her up the wooden ladder up to the deck. As she came near the surface she activated her Byakugan and saw only Kiba and Itachi were left standing, all of the pirates were disarmed and unconscious.

Working together in silence, they were busy tying up all of the men for the town's security and elders to take care of when they arrived.

As Hinata stepped back onto the deck, her eyes immediately found Itachi. Drinking in the sight of him, her eyes refused to look anywhere else.

"Come on Hinata, let's get those children back to their parents." Kiba told her without even looking at her as he finished tying a knot around one of the unconscious pirate's hands.

As soon as he spotted her, Akamaru bounded over to her and nudged her with his nose demanding to be petted. Kneeling down beside him with a sob in her throat, Hinata hugged him and buried her face in his long white hair wanting the comfort he could give her. She could feel the last vestiges of her self control slipping away from her fast.

"Oh Akamaru, it hurts so much… I am not ready for this." She whispered to her canine friend achingly trying to hold back the tears as her eyes went back to Itachi who was watching her.

A shadow passed over his face before he looked away from her staring out in the distance as though deep in thought.

Kiba came over to Hinata and noticed the blood on her neck, "Are you alright Hinata?" He asked her, putting his arm around her.

"I'm fine, Kiba." She told him before beginning to tremble and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please Kiba, take the children on shore…let me say good bye to him alone."

He looked at her with worried eyes and then over at Itachi, "Okay, I will do it for you… Akamaru and I will wait for you on the shore."

Before he let go of her he glared at Itachi, "I still don't know what she sees in you." He muttered and shook his head before herding the children toward the lifeboat.

Itachi ignored him; instead he walked behind him toward the lifeboat and waited for everyone to get settled in the boat. As if in a daze, Hinata moved over to the other side of the lifeboat and grabbed a rope.

As they lowered it into the water, Hinata felt so tied up in knots she didn't know what to say or do...

She just knew goodbye wasn't one of the things she wanted to tell him.

Unconsciously wrapping her hands around her stomach, she turned to him slowly as if she was physically trying to hold herself together.

_I can't do this…oh Kami, I just can't._

Without saying a word to her Itachi pulled her into his chest, "I'm sorry it has to be this way."

With a choked sob in her throat, she lifted her face to him; her eyes were burning with unshed tears. "Oh Itachi…I can't do this…" She began to whisper brokenly before Itachi bent his head and covered her mouth with his.

She kissed him back, holding him fiercely to her while shattered sobs racked her body and tears poured from her eyes. Tormented by her anguish, Itachi dragged his mouth from hers, kissing her wet cheeks, running his hands over her shaking shoulders, trying to comfort her.

Worried about upsetting him, Hinata tried to shut her emotions down, shuddering violently at the effort to hold back the tears. A muscle jerked in Itachi's jaw as he pulled her tightly into his arms as her silent anguish was even harder to deal with than her tears.

"I'm sorry Itachi, I am trying…it just hurts so much." Hinata choked out whispering achingly. "I love you, I d-don't want to leave you."

"I know." Itachi told her in a raw voice as his arms tightened around her in frustration, knowing it was not within his power to change anything. His lips as he kissed her again were hard and angry at first before his mouth suddenly gentled, becoming soft, caressing her mouth tenderly.

"I love you," He whispered as their breath mingled together before kissing her again and again. The gentle feel of him against her almost deluding her into believing this wasn't goodbye.

Clinging to him desperately, Hinata opened her eyes slowly when she felt him lift his mouth from hers. Her eyes became shadowed when she saw the way he was looking at her. He was telling her it was time to go and she saw something else in his eyes…

_Oh god, no Itachi…please no, _her mind screamed when she saw what he was going to do.

"I'm sorry Hinata; I won't let you suffer because of me." He told her before activating his Sharingan and wiping all memory of him from her mind.

His face was like stone as he caught her in his arms and lifted her unconscious form bridal style off of the boat and began carrying her over the water towards her team-mate.

As he carried her, his eyes were on her face, memorizing it, knowing that this was the last time he would ever see her.

"I'm sorry." He told her one last time before he got closer to her team-mate.

When Kiba saw him carrying her back unconscious, he jumped to his feet in fear and anger.

"What did you do to her, you bastard?" He yelled out as Itachi stepped onto the shore and set Hinata's unconscious body down near the children.

Itachi activated his Sharingan and Kiba fell to the ground after having his memories of meeting him removed from his mind.

Hearing voices in the distance, Itachi looked over at the faces of the children as they stared at him with huge fearful eyes, before dissipating completely from their sight.

oooOOOooo

Itachi's chest was burning and he was tired as hell when he made it back to Master Eichu's. Before coming back to his house he arranged for one of the Akatsuki spies in the area to take Hanzo's son back to Pein as proof of his death.

Tomorrow morning he would leave and go back to his old life and try to forget, his time with her.

As if that were possible…he knew he would never forget her.

Turning around to close the gate behind him, a sinking feeling formed in his gut as he felt the angry chakra blazing behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Itachi asked his brother before turning his eyes to the old man who betrayed him…

**Author's Note:** I am going to go run and hide now. Before you go all angry mob on me just remember this is not the end, I have plotted out one, maybe two more chapters before I end it. I have had this chapter in my head from the very beginning of the story. Please let me know what you think about this chapter and where you think I am going with all of it. I just have to thank Narya Vilya for all of her encouragement, her thoughtful review and PMs helped me get over my writer's block on this story and post a chapter. Thanks S~

**Manga Spoiler**: I loved the last one it was great and the end picture of young Itachi holding Sasuke while the Kyuubi attacked the village was so adorable. I also loved the part where Mikoto talked to Kushina while she was pregnant. Finally a good one that didn't bore me…yay.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Way of Tea**

**Chapter 14**

* * *

[Timeskip: Three months later…]

The sky was dark and cloudy and it was beginning to rain again which suited her mood perfectly. This way Hinata could let the tears fall freely without anyone noticing them.

Her hand reached out and pulled another weed with unusual force as she removed the ugly blight from her beautiful garden. The sheer act of removing something that disrupted the serenity of her place made her feel better – like she actually had control over something in her life.

Gardening had always been one of her passions but for some reason over the past few months it had become something more to her.

It had become her refuge from the world – a sanctuary where she could feel a small measure of peace and contentment. Being here surrounded by flowers and plants made her feel almost normal again.

_Normal? _The word clanged like a siren in her stricken mind_, nothing is normal anymore, everything feels broken._

Her eyes were bleak for a moment before her face crumpled and the scalding tears poured unchecked down her face. A silent scream of helpless frustration raged through her.

_What is wrong with me?_

Ever since she came back from the mission to Chado her heart felt like it was dying from a gaping wound that felt so real she was sure that everyone could see it. Yet no one did and she was forced to try to live her life just like she did before, but it was all…so empty, so lonely. Some days it was hard for her to even get out of bed.

Something was missing in her life that could not be filled by anything else. Life had become one big lie to her where she was forced to pretend that everything was fine from the moment she woke up until she could be alone again when she went to bed.

Hinata closed her eyes as all of the energy drained out of her not caring that the rain was pouring down on her drenching her clothes. She knew if her father saw her he would become upset and force her to come inside.

Her eyes turned toward the house and a shadow crossed her face knowing that he thought she had finally reached her breaking point and lost her mind. When she had returned from the mission to Chado and was in the hospital he had refused to see her when he found out she had been captured by the pirates. In his mind, she compromised the mission and proved herself to be weak and put the mission at risk. Even though the mission was deemed a success by the Hokage since the pirates were ultimately destroyed and no longer terrorizing the village, but those details didn't seem to matter to him.

In the weeks following her release from the hospital things between her and her father had deteriorated even further when she could not seem to snap out of whatever was upsetting her. Whenever she was forced to be in the same room with him, his eyes would rake over her miserable face with a hard glance and his mouth would tighten with anger before he would turn away from her and basically pretend she didn't even exist.

Hinata took to avoiding him completely and only saw him at dinner time when it was mandatory for her to be in his presence. Yet as strained as things were between her and her father it was even worse with her sister and cousin.

The look of helpless concern and worry on their faces was even harder for her to deal with. Hinata wished she could tell them what was wrong with her but how could she when she didn't even know what bothering her.

Over time, rather than talking about it with someone she learned how to pretend everything was fine. It surprised her how adept she had become at putting the mask on and covering her emotions. In the past hiding her emotions had always been difficult but when it came to keeping the people around her from worrying she found it gave her the motivation necessary to learn how to do it.

"Come inside, Hinata," she heard her sister's worried voice call out to her from the patio doorway. "You'll make yourself sick again if you stay outside in the rain."

Hinata closed her eyes and breathed out in a fortifying manner before standing up and reluctantly headed toward the house. As she neared her sister she schooled her features to appear placid and gave her sister a reassuring smile.

"I am sorry for worrying you, Hanabi," Hinata said quietly as she took her sandals off by the door, so she wouldn't track mud throughout the house.

Not fooled for even a moment by her sister's words and smile, Hanabi released an exasperated sigh, "Whatever, go take a shower and get cleaned up before father sees you looking like that."

Glad that her sister only gave her a small lecture, Hinata silently made her way to her bedroom. Once there she quickly removed her wet clothing and changed into dry clothes. As she was dressing she was surprised when she saw a package was lying on her bed.

The postmark on it was from the town of Chado.

A small frown lined her forehead as she tried to remember if she knew anyone in Chado. Anxiety began to roll off of her in waves as she couldn't remember any more details from her time there.

The only thing she could remember from the mission was her first sight of seaside town and the salty smell of the ocean as she stared out in the distance and how she couldn't wait to see the sights and drink the tea. She remembered watching Kiba and Akamaru dart off out of formation before her and Shino had to run after them but all of the details of the mission after that was nothing but a blank.

Whenever Hinata tried to remember anything else about it was like stepping into a giant void.

It was as if she had slept through the whole mission…but she knew she hadn't, especially since the small scars on her wrists from ropes that had been tied around them proved that she had been captured by the pirates they had been sent there to contain.

While she had been recovering in the hospital, the Hokage had labeled the mission an S-rank and strictly prohibited anyone involved from even talking about it. After being released from the hospital Hinata felt it was strange that no one had briefed her about the mission or told her anything about it. When she had spoken to the Hokage about it and began to ask questions, she was told the mission was sealed and no one was allowed to discuss it without breaking the law.

Stunned by the Hokage's answer and refusal to answer any of her questions, Hinata left her office that day and tried to dutifully put it all out of her mind.

But found it was impossible, she just had too many questions and the yearning for something missing just hurt so much, she wondered if she would ever be able to move on and be happy again. Clinging to the last vestiges of her optimism she prayed as she reached out and slid the package closer to her.

Her hands shook a little as she removed the strings and brown wrapping from around the package and her breath sucked in as she pulled the delicate silk kimono out from under the tissue paper.

It was so exquisite and lovely she was almost afraid to touch it. It was lavender with intricate patterns of silver thread woven around the border of the sleeves and around the collar and down the front of it.

Unable to resist she brought it to her face and smelled it. There was a trace scent of fresh tea leaves and lavender, just like the soap she used. Hinata wondered if she had ever worn it before and reaching in the pocket she found a price tag. Her eyes widened when she saw the exorbitant price on it and realized she would have never spent that much on something for herself. Maybe it was sent to her by mistake?

Searching through the package for a note or card of some sort to see who sent it to her, she frowned when she couldn't find one.

The lovely garment was a mystery to her, yet it seemed to be familiar somehow and as she tried it on she found it fit her perfectly. As she tied the silver obi around her too thin waist, she looked at herself in the mirror and found that even as pale and gaunt as she was right now, it made her feel rather pretty.

The delicate scent of it and the feel of it against her skin comforted her so much she decided to wear it to bed. And for the first time in months she slept through the night and woke up feeling almost refreshed in the morning.

oooOOOooo

Walking through the stunned crowd of ninjas Itachi could feel the lovely traces of her presence calling out to him, consuming him. He had thought he could force her from his mind but the bond they had formed from the very beginning was too strong. He had been a fool to even try.

Over the past few months he had learned something about bonds formed with the people you love, they are stronger than death itself. Hinata and his brother taught him that.

It was a painful lesson, rooted in pain and near death he learned he was not infallible and sometimes another way is possible. He looked over and his glance caught his brother's almost sullen look before they stepped up on to the platform with the Hokage.

After Itachi knew he was going to live, he gave his brother an ultimatum, either come back to Konoha with him or he would never speak to him again. Revenge was a pointless and useless goal and Itachi wanted no part of it.

Sasuke obviously made the right choice, but that didn't mean he was pleased about it. Before they surrendered to the village they had a few conditions that they demanded to be met from Konoha first…

oooOOOooo

Watching the two dark haired Uchiha brothers step onto the podium amidst the whispering and shocked crowd of ninjas was the icing on the cake for an ebullient Hokage. She was almost beside herself as earlier in the day she made the old codger Elders that had made her life hell since she had become Hokage retire.

Since dancing around in a circle would be demeaning to her position as Hokage she opted for a tiny smile instead that spread into a grin as she spoke the next words above the noise of the crowd.

"Peace has now settled over the ninja world, Akatsuki has been defeated!"

After her declaration for several shocked moments you could have heard a pin drop in the building - until the crowd simultaneously erupted into a fury of questions, jubilation and shouts of joy.

Except for two people who were completely focused only on each other.

From the moment Itachi had entered the room he immediately sensed her, he would recognize her chakra anywhere. In his whole life he had never met anyone with chakra as light and pure as hers. In the past few months since he left her on that shore, the scent of her skin and the tranquility of her chakra had never left him. Everywhere he went and everything he saw reminded him in small ways of her.

Especially the look of pained betrayal in her eyes before he erased her memory, it was always with him. It made him doubt himself in ways he had never done before. When he erased her memories he had been acting with his emotions and only a small portion of logic.

And to a highly rational ninja such as himself that was completely unacceptable. Yet with Hinata practically from the moment he met her, his rational mind and normally suspicious nature had fallen away almost with ease. Logic was almost impossible for him to use with her as if they had been pulled together by an unseen hand neither one of them could stop.

With his improved vision, Itachi's eyes hungrily gazed over her face near the edge of the crowd and was surprised when she looked up at him and their eyes met and held for several endless moments. The crowd around them disappeared as they stood there staring at each other from across the room.

Until she schooled her features into a mask of such utter unconcern and impassiveness before looking away from him that Itachi felt like he was going to be sick as his stomach clenched with guilt. Like a sucker punch to the gut, he realized it was because of him.

He had miscalculated badly with her as his eyes took in her too pale face and saw how thin she had become. The wary look in her eyes made him swear internally, _damn it._

The Hokage interrupted his thoughts when she quieted the crowd by raising her hands.

"For their many years of undercover service to Konoha and for systematically destroying all known threats to our safety, I grant a full pardon to Uchiha Sasuke and Itachi. And if they fully cooperate with ANBU, I will reinstate them back to active ninja status. Welcome home, Sasuke and Itachi," The Hokage announced to an even more stunned crowd.

For a few short moments an awkward silence gripped the crowd as most of the ninjas were pleased to have them back in the village but because of their dark past people were unsure how to react. Ninja's memories were long and the massacre of the Uchiha Clan had been a black eye that they had never recovered from.

That said, having the Uchiha brothers back amongst them was like a miracle and soon several people began clapping (Naruto and Sakura mainly) and before long the whole room erupted in thunderous applause…as they unilaterally decided to accept them back into the fold again.

Uncaring about all of the drama around him, Itachi could only focus on one person as he glanced up and saw Hinata was moving toward the aisle. Before he even could think about it he stepped off of the platform and was directly behind her and laid his hand on her shoulder…

oooOOOooo

The crowd was applauding and Hinata could only think of one thing to do, she had to get out of the building. Her body was trembling all over and she was still confused at why the former Akatsuki member had been staring at her. It seemed from the moment he stepped on stage she could feel his eyes on her and for some reason it made her heart soar…

_But why? I've never met him before_… her mind reasoned with unarguable logic. As far as she knew, they had never met before. Hinata looked up again and her eyes caught his and for a moment she felt something powerful pass between them. Her body began to yearn and ache for him so much that it began to frighten and confuse her.

_What is wrong with me? _She thought as she schooled her face to hide her emotions.

_I have to leave…now_, her mind concluded anxiously as she heard all of the noise around her as for some reason she felt like crying and laughing at the same time.

"Hinata?" Shino asked and she could hear the concern in his voice and it made her feel awful for worrying him. Her team-mates had been so wonderful the last few months the last thing she wanted to do was worry them anymore.

"I am fine," she lied calmly with a brief smile. "I just need to get some fresh air," she told him before slipping out into the aisle. As she headed toward the back door, she heard several astonished gasps out in the crowd before all of the clapping stopped and total silence blanketed the crowd…

It was then she felt a hand on her shoulder. Something about the touch felt familiar to her and she turned around slowly.

It was him, the older brother, Uchiha Itachi…_what does he want with me? _she asked herself as she lowered her gaze toward the ground in-between them_._

As though under a spell, Hinata stood there still as a statue as she watched his chest sink in as he breathed in deeply. She had a strange sense like he was trying to absorb her presence into his body.

Emotions began to bubble within her and everything around her faded away as she watched him calmly reach out to her and place his hand beneath her chin and gently lifted it up so her eyes met his.

Hinata was floored by the look of humility contained within them.

"I'm sorry, Hinata."

"For what?" She whispered when she could speak again.

"I was wrong…" he told her in a grave voice. "…and you have suffered because of me."

A frown of understanding came over her face and her eyes were clouded as she stared back at his face that somehow had become even closer to hers.

"It was you…all along, but why?" Hinata asked as her body began to tremble even more and the blood began to rush in her head like a Tsunami. Several emotions crashed over her all at once, dread, elation at finally getting some answers and a strange feeling that made her want to cling to him and never let go.

"I never wanted to hurt you," Itachi told her in a soft voice.

"I understand," she told him automatically before breathing out harshly realizing she didn't understand at all. Not even a little bit. Her mind felt foggy and was racing wildly just by being in his presence, it was as if he had some invisible pull over her which made her act almost stupidly around him.

As if in slow motion she heard him apologize again before he lowered his head so his forehead was leaning against hers. It felt so natural and normal to have him do this to her she could only stare at him with wary and perplexed eyes. Confusion gripped her as she took a step away from him.

Suddenly he activated his Sharingan and she watched with equal parts fear and fascination as the black tomoes spun around and flashes of memories began to flicker through her mind like cascading tiles building one on top of the other.

Her senses began to come alive and in her mind she could remember it all…the tea rituals, Master Eichu, the scent of tea leaves, the feel of his lips on hers as his arms crushed her against him.

His hands were steady on her shoulders as she swayed under the onslaught of memories - some painful, some so wonderful and precious they made her want to weep for the sheer delight of them.

As if in shock, her mind registered the last time she saw him, and saw herself standing on the pirate ship with him saying goodbye, feeling as if her heart was being ripped in half as she kissed him one last time knowing she would never see him again. And then his eyes had become red and terrible as he had activated his Sharingan…

Stumbling back even further from him, her breath choked her in shock. Standing in front of her was the person she loved most in the world and he had betrayed her.

Lifting her eyes to his she stared at him as she realized she had suffered mental trauma from the last person she had ever expected to hurt her.

"Itachi?" She asked him in a shaken voice as her lower lip trembled at the effort she was exerting to hold back her emotions.

"How could you?" She whispered brokenly before a cough from one of the massive audience around them alerted her that they were not alone. As if in a mortified daze she whirled around and saw the stunned and curious faces of the people in the crowd and raced out the back door.

Without hesitating, Itachi followed her as she ran through town and toward the river. Keeping just behind her but not too close he formulated in his mind what he would say to her when he caught up to her…and prayed to every deity he could think of that she would be able to forgive him…

XX

**Author's Note: **Sorry to stop there, I have a large portion of the next chapter already written and I don't want to split up the next scene. The next chapter is the last one and besides their reunion, it will show Itachi's side of the story over the last few months…and after that there will be an epilogue. Before I post this, I just have to confess something to all of you…in the beginning and throughout most of the story I always intended to kill off Itachi. The story was originally intended to be nothing more than a brief interlude/friendship between them where both of them are changed and Itachi finds a small amount of happiness and peace before he died. But because so many of you obviously wanted me to make him live at the end, I felt I had to concede to the majority of reviewers (I am such a panderer lol).

On that happy note, I will try my hardest to finish the next chapter within a day or two (I have about ½ of it written so far). As all of you know, hearing from you is a wonderful motivator for me and many other writers on this site so please share your thoughts with me. Thanks.

My deepest appreciation goes out to Sil (Narya Vilya) for helping me break past my awful bout of insecurity and writer's block on this story. Her help was utterly invaluable and this chapter would have probably remained in a constant state of editing and re-editing while I tried to sort out my problems on my own. Thanks dear, you are wonderful!

I also want to thank Lets Play Funeral for plugging this story on the latest chapter of Angel Of My Nightmare. You are so nice and your story is great too, keep up the wonderful job:) I hope you have recovered from your illness.


	15. Chapter 15

**The Way of Tea**

**~Chapter 15~**

* * *

Feeling heart-sore and mentally bruised Hinata continued to run. The physical act of running was calming and it gave her time to replay in her mind what she had just learned. As she put one foot in front of the other her mind sorted out their tumultuous time together with incredible detail.

Vivid images of them together brought tears to her eyes at how precious the time they had together were.

Their meeting for the first time at the tea ceremony, with the sound of the ocean humming in her ears. The two of them performing katas in the garden, side by side.

The first time they kissed and the way he would hold her too close as if she was his lifeline.

Hinata released a shaky breath and slowly the feelings of betrayal and hurt that she had been wrestling with began to diminish. For it didn't take her long to see that the memories he gave her were not from her perspective, they had been his.

And they were so painful, they made her heart ache.

_Oh Itachi!_

Unable to run or even move, Hinata could only stare out in front of her in shock as the knowledge of just how much he loved her washed over her.

It was so deep it was almost fathomless and it was interwoven in every attempt to push her away. In the memories she could feel his struggle to push her away and to protect her from himself.

And how from the very beginning he had never wanted to love her, but he couldn't stop it from happening either. During their time together she had always thought that she had cared much more for him than he ever could feel for her.

She had been wrong, so very wrong.

* * *

Itachi followed behind her at a respectful distance in order to give her time to sort out her feelings. He also used the few extra moments to gather his thoughts as well.

He was still sickened over what he had put her through by erasing all memories of him and their relationship from her mind.

What had happened to her was so illogical he still couldn't wrap his mind around it, she should have been fine. In fact, over the past months he had taken comfort in the knowledge that she was safe and was continuing on with her life without any painful memories of their time together.

He had hoped she was happy.

But one look at her too thin and gaunt figure and the wary look on her face showed just how badly he had miscalculated. She had not been fine; she had suffered tremendously because of what he had done to her.

His lips quirked into a mirthless smile as he thought of how he should have known she would react differently to the jutsu than others have.

Hinata was different than others and when she cared about someone she loved them deeply. Her mind may have forgotten who he was to her, but the rest of her had still remembered him.

If he could go back to that place and time on the boat and change what he did to her on that day, he would have.

Itachi tensed up when he saw her pull up by the river and begin to stare out over the water as though deep in thought. Time crawled by slowly for him as he waited several yards behind her and waited patiently for her to acknowledge his presence.

When she didn't and continued to stare out almost in a trance out into the distance, Itachi took a few steps forward and said the first thing he could think of to say.

"I'm sorry."

He felt encouraged to take a few more steps closer when he saw her move and lift one of her hands to her mouth. His sharp eyes also noticed her posture seemed less rigid and appeared to more welcoming.

"Three months ago, I went to Chado on a mission to destroy Hanzo's son and knowing I was going to die soon, I was looking for peace…" he began quietly and took a few more tentative steps towards her.

"Instead, I found you," he admitted somberly before the truth compelled him to add, "and haven't had a moment's peace since then."

Still standing with her back to him, it took Hinata a moment to fully grasp what he was trying to tell her. When she did, her emotions began to spring to the surface and tears began to course down her face as he continued, "Loving you was a purely selfish act on my part, because I knew in the end I had nothing to offer you except for pain, possible death and loneliness. It would have been better for you, if you had never met me."

"Don't say that," Hinata cried as she whirled around, her eyes were fierce as she stared at him. "I knew all along getting involved with you was dangerous, but it was a risk I was willing to take."

"I shouldn't have let you," Itachi countered with eyes full of self reproach.

"You needed me…" Hinata stated quietly and the truth was so evident to both of them he didn't even bother to deny it. She was further convinced when she saw he was staring at her intensely as though he was drinking in the sight of her.

"And I couldn't stay away from you," she whispered gently and took a few more steps toward him so that she was almost close enough to touch him.

Now that she was facing him, Hinata stood stock still, clasping and unclasping her hands unsure of what to do next. From the time he had restored her memory to her it had been as though she was walking through a dense fog.

But reality was beginning to finally sink in and the fog was beginning to lift.

Lifting her eyes and looking at him closely for the first time since she saw him again her eyes opened wide with disbelief when she took in the changes to his appearance. His skin no longer was pasty white; in fact it was slightly tanned. Over all he looked strong and…healthy.

"Itachi?" She whispered in a voice that hardly dared it to be true…"You're well…?"

Nodding solemnly with a look of almost pain on his face, he closed the gap between them and grasping her shoulders a little roughly he hauled her into him, clasping her tightly against his chest. Enveloped by the familiar scent of lavender, he buried his hands in her thick hair and breathed in the essence of her deeply.

At the sweetness of being held by him again and the knowledge that he wasn't going to die, Hinata silently thanked every deity she could think of over and over for giving him back to her.

Unable to stop herself she could only stare up at him; her hands were shaking as she placed them along the sides of his face.

At the feel of her touch, Itachi knew she had forgiven him and was giving him another chance. He released a ragged breath before he cradled her tenderly against him and lowering his head he brushed his lips against her forehead.

Joy began to envelope them as they clung together. After several lovely moments, questions began to flood through her mind, but before she could ask, his mouth began to trail down her face almost reverently before he settled his lips over hers.

Within a matter of moments her arms slipped around his neck and a smile touched her mouth momentarily when her hand found and wrapped around the pony tail at the back of his head.

A small rumbling sound in his chest made Hinata's eyes open wide as she broke away from him with a stunned giggle, "You…laughed."

"I did not," Itachi stated in denial as he lowered his mouth back towards hers.

Hinata closed her eyes as his mouth touched hers and an uninhibited smile formed on her face as she realized what his laughter had meant.

Itachi was happy.

As she clasped him tighter to her and pressed her lips against his, she silently vowed to hear that sound from him again.

**OOO**

A few hours later, snuggled together under a tree by the river, Hinata, brimming over with curiosity, began to press him to talk about his experiences over the past few months.

"So, Sasuke-kun found you on Chado?" She guessed as she remembered how she had seen him with his brother on stage earlier today.

"Yes, thanks to Master Eichu," Itachi admitted with an irritated sigh.

Hinata choked back a laugh at how crafty the old man was. "I bet he also helped the two of you patch up your differences too," she prodded in a much more serious tone of voice.

Itachi face was like stone before nodding slightly and explaining, "Master Eichu told him without my permission, that I was dying."

"Did your brother forgive you right away?"

"No, he didn't," he told her with a pained look on his face. "His anger towards me was too deep. So, he decided to try to have me healed first and then kill me. That way we would fight on even terms."

With raised eyebrows, Hinata listened to him and couldn't help but add, "That sounds like something, Sasuke-kun would do. Naruto was always complaining about how, uhm, hard-headed he was."

"No one is more stubborn than my little brother," he replied in a somewhat frustrated voice as he thought of all that they had been through over the past several years. "_He_ was the one who contacted the Hokage and worked out a deal that if she would heal me, the two of us would destroy Akatsuki together and return to the village."

Hinata was silent as he began to explain, how the old man had hidden the two brothers away while the Hokage met them in secret and performed surgery on his eyes and gave him medicine that miraculously restored his health.

What Itachi did not tell her was how after he was healed, he and Sasuke battled it out for almost a whole day and destroyed a huge area of land on the island of Chado and turned it into a pile of burning rubble. (Thankfully it was high in the mountains and not where the tourist areas or the tea was growing.) After they had fought to a draw, Sasuke admitted to him that the Hokage had told him the truth and he knew why he had murdered the clan. After Itachi answered most of his questions, they decided to move forward and work toward peace together.

After all her questions were answered they just held one another for a long time and were just happy to be reunited. It wasn't long before the sun was beginning to go down.

"I suppose we should go and talk to your father now," Itachi stated in a somewhat less than thrilled voice.

Hinata couldn't help but feel a small tendril of fear at the thought of presenting Itachi, a former Akatsuki member and former criminal, to her father and clan as a prospective husband.

Itachi sensed her fear and hesitation and looked down at her will eyes full of confidence. After all he had been through lately; meeting his prospective father–in-law was barely even worth worrying about. He put his hand out and helped her up, "Don't worry. We will do this together."

Hinata looked up at him and felt the love and confidence in his words, because she knew no matter what, they would never be separated again.

"I know," she told him with the smile that had always belonged solely to him and hand in hand they began to walk towards their future together…

**~Epilogue~**

**(One year later)**

From their view high above in the world of the afterlife, the two best friends looked down at their offspring with satisfaction. Down on the pristine beach of Chado, walked a young couple and in the happy father's arm laid a newborn, girl. Next to him his wife was laughing and picking up sea shells on the shore. Sitting on a lawn-chair, not far away was Master Eichu, who had just blessed the young baby in a small private ceremony.

Raising his cup of tea to the sky, he smiled and knew his former students were watching from above and spoke out loud in applause to them, "Just so you know, I am getting too old for these types of miracles, but I hope the two of you are pleased with your grandchild. She reminds me a lot of the two of you!"

**FIN**

**Author's Note:** I have had most of this written for so long and just couldn't finish it, but even though I am not completely satisfied with it, I decided to post it anyway. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me throughout this long, long process of writing this story and finishing it. I hope I didn't disappoint you. THANKS!

**Update:** I am seriously working on some of my other fics to finish them. I will most likely be finishing DTBR next and Kismet at the Tabu, then get to work on the BI series. Regarding Itachi's Ghost, I will have to get caught up on the series again and make a very hard effort to finish that one. So, I guess for now (unless I get unusually motivated) consider it to be on hiatus for the time being. I appreciate everyone's patience and support!


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